Application of superhydrophobic coatings as a corrosion barrier: A review

This review provides an overview of recent advances in the application of superhydrophobic surfaces to act as corrosion barriers. The adverse consequences of corrosion are a serious and widespread problem resulting in industrial plant shutdowns, waste of valuable resources, reduction in efficiency, loss or contamination of products, and damage to the environment. Superhydrophobic surfaces, inspired by nature, can be considered as an alternative means for improving the protection of metals against corrosion. Due to the possibility of minimizing the contact area between liquids and a surface, superhydrophobic surfaces can offer great resistance to corrosion. Artificial superhydrophobic surfaces have been developed with the potential of being applied in numerous settings including self-cleaning, anti-icing, oil-water separation, and especially anti-corrosion applications. In this paper, we review the concept of superhydrophobicity through presentation of different theoretical models. The fabrication and application of superhydrophobic surfaces are presented, and we then discuss the use of superhydrophobic coatings as barriers against the corrosion of metals.