Study of the ability of self-assembled N-vinylcarbazole monolayers to protect copper against corrosion

Abstract

N-Vinylcarbazole (NVC) monolayers were self-assembled on copper surfaces. The electrochemical properties of the copper surfaces modified by NVC self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were investigated using polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) methods. The polarization measurements indicated that the NVC SAMs could reduce the rates of the anodic and cathodic reaction on the surface of copper electrodes in 0.5 mol dm-3 NaCl solution. The EIS results showed the NVC formed a closely packed film that was able to inhibit copper corrosion. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the copper samples and atomic adsorption analysis of the solution showed that the copper surfaces were covered by NVC SAMs, and the adsorption of NVC on the copper surfaces was accompanied with dissolution of Cu into the solution.

Keywords

• self-assembled monolayers
• N-vinylcarbazole
• copper
• EIS
• XPS