Coatings against Corrosion, Microbial Adhesion, and Biofouling

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on Coatings against Corrosion, Microbial Adhesion, and Biofouling would like to inspire all researchers and specialists who could contribute with their new results achieved in this field, and show what the newest, most interesting results are.

Corrosion, a thermodynamically spontaneous, undesired process is the deterioration of metals in the presence of an aggressive environment. These chemical and electrochemical alterations cause significant changes in the physical and mechanical states, and cost a lot of money.

When corrosion relevant micro- and macro-organisms (bacteria, algae, fungi, plants, and animals) are present in the environment, one can calculate the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), which refers to the influence of microbes on the kinetics of the corrosion processes caused by the adhesion of microorganisms to the interfaces. In this case, not only the environment, but the microbial presence and their aggressive metabolites can increase (directly or indirectly) the corrosion rate. Corrosive microorganisms like to attach to solids, to form biofilms at the solid/liquid interface; from the point of view of corrosion, the embedded microbes in biofilms are more dangerous than the planktonic ones.

Coatings that can decrease the rate of all types of corrosion are applied in order to control corrosive deterioration; they should save the original state of the solid surfaces exposed to aggressive environments, and must remain intact and adherent on the surface. There are many reasons for coating deterioration and for corrosion beneath a coating, such as unsuitable coating, permeation, heat, chemical, and physical and mechanical influence.

The organic coatings used for the protection of metallic (and non-metallic) deterioration depend on the nature of the environment. They have an extreme chemical complexity and heterogeneity, special microstructure, and interfacial properties, and should be environmentally acceptable and able to maintain a long life.

Considerable progress has been made in the design of anti-corrosion and antifouling coatings.

There are different mechanisms that help in decreasing the corrosion processes. The coatings can continuously release the active materials (coatings with inhibitors), or in the smart coatings, the inhibitors/biocides are in nanocontainers (micro/nanocapsuls) when the active ingredient will be released via an external or internal mechanism.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the latest researches, experimental works, and analytical techniques on the field of coatings applied against corrosion, microbial adhesion, and biodeposition. The topic has been in the limelight of scientists and industrial specialists, which has resulted in numerous publications and applications. This Special Issue is dedicated to the recent achievements and ongoing research done in the elaboration of new, multifunctional coatings effective in the inhibition of the deterioration of solid surfaces and of coatings, as well as in the development of new analytical methods applicable either in laboratory or industrial systems.

Not only original papers, but also reviews are welcome on the following topics:

New special multifunctional coatings:

• when the inhibitor or biocide is involved into the coating (continuous release);
• when the active materials are incorporated into containers (tubes, capsules, and core/shell structure); smart coatings with slow release mechanisms (microspheres with porous structure);
• recently developed core/shell capsules with new (one or more) active materials that can decrease the microbial adhesion and/or the life conditions for microbial activity.

Nowadays developed techniques to control the deterioration of coated solid surfaces (chemical/electrochemical/biochemical sensors).

Modern approaches to environmentally effective anticorrosion and antifouling systems.

Dr. Judit Telegdi
Guest Editor

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• anticorrosive coatings
• coatings against microbial adhesion and biofouling
• smart coatings with microcapsules and microspheres
• antifouling strategy
• characterization of coated surfaces