Feature Paper Collection of “Current Challenges in Corrosion Research" (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Corrosion and Protection".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2025 | Viewed by 2825

Special Issue Editors


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Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: surface treatments; interfacial characterization; wear and corrosion; protective coatings and films; surface characterization techniques; advanced surface engineering; novel surface solutions
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Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
Interests: metallic glasses; coatings; powder metallurgy; additive manufacturing; corrosion; mechanical properties
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Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11020 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: Intrinsically conducting polymers, electrochemical synthesis, electrochemical characterisation, corrosion, electrode materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Long-lasting materials have become a priority in reducing the carbon footprint and mitigate climate change. Raw materials are increasingly scarce, and the product manufacturing costs are reaching unprecedented levels. In addition to new technologies with, in most cases, hazardous exposure conditions, the development of new design strategies, prevention methods, and monitoring procedures is required to fight against corrosion. Thus, corrosion control is essential for a sustainable society.

This Special Issue is intended to compile the most recent advances in corrosion research. Contributions from traditional fields such as transport, the chemical industry, or civil engineering are welcome, but innovative improvements in the areas of additive manufacturing or biomaterials are also expected.

Methods for corrosion mitigation, including environmentally friendly solutions such as high-performance coatings, cost-effective advanced materials, inhibitors, or novel solutions, as well as innovative testing procedures, including sensors or remote monitoring, to reliably assess corrosion behavior and to predict corrosion damage are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Belén Díaz Fernández
Prof. Dr. Jianqiang Wang
Prof. Dr. Branimir N. Grgur
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • corrosion prevention and protection
  • monitoring
  • design
  • advanced materials
  • modeling and prediction
  • testing procedures
  • inhibitors
  • biomaterials
  • self-healing coatings
  • remote monitoring

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 3299 KiB  
Article
Corrosion Stability and Biological Activity of Anodized cpTi for Dental Application
by Aleksandra S. Popović, Minja Miličić Lazić, Dijana Mitić, Lazar Rakočević, Dragana Jugović, Predrag Živković and Branimir N. Grgur
Metals 2025, 15(7), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15070817 - 21 Jul 2025
Abstract
The anodic oxidation of titanium implants is a practical, cost-effective method to enhance implant success, especially due to rising hypersensitivity concerns. This study investigated the electrochemical behavior, surface characteristics, and biocompatibility of anodized commercially pure titanium (cpTi, grade IV). Anodization is performed on [...] Read more.
The anodic oxidation of titanium implants is a practical, cost-effective method to enhance implant success, especially due to rising hypersensitivity concerns. This study investigated the electrochemical behavior, surface characteristics, and biocompatibility of anodized commercially pure titanium (cpTi, grade IV). Anodization is performed on polished, cleaned cpTi sheet samples in 1 M H2SO4 using a constant voltage of 15 V for 15 and 45 min. The color of the oxide layer is evaluated using the CIELab color space, while composition is analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are performed to identify and monitor the phase transformations of the formed titanium oxides. Corrosion measurements are performed in 9 g L−1 NaCl, pH = 7.4, and show the excellent corrosion stability of the anodized samples in comparison with pure titanium. The biological response is assessed by determining mitochondrial activity and gene expression in human fibroblasts. Anodized surfaces, particularly Ti-45, promote higher mitochondrial activity and the upregulation of adhesion-related genes (N-cadherin and Vimentin) in human gingival fibroblasts, indicating improved biocompatibility and the potential for enhanced early soft tissue integration. Full article
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19 pages, 4839 KiB  
Article
Corrosion Inhibition of C38 Steel in 1 M HCl Using Benzoxazole-2-Thione: Electrochemical, SEM-EDX, and Theoretical Studies
by Mohamed Omari, Khalid Bouiti, Said Jebbari, Nabil Lahrache, Ali Barhoumi, Najoua Labjar, Souad El Hajjaji, Mahado Said-Ahmed, Mounim Lebrini, Hamid Nasrellah, Mohammed El Idrissi and Abdessamad Tounsi
Metals 2025, 15(7), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15070810 - 19 Jul 2025
Viewed by 178
Abstract
This study explores the corrosion inhibition of C38 steel in a 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution using a novel benzoxazole-2-thione compound. The inhibitor was synthesized and structurally characterized by both 1H NMR (DMSO-d6/TMS) and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Electrochemical [...] Read more.
This study explores the corrosion inhibition of C38 steel in a 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution using a novel benzoxazole-2-thione compound. The inhibitor was synthesized and structurally characterized by both 1H NMR (DMSO-d6/TMS) and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Electrochemical techniques, including Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were employed to evaluate the inhibition performance. The results indicate that the benzoxazole-2-thione significantly reduces the corrosion rate, achieving a maximum inhibition efficiency of 95.25% at a concentration of 10−4 M. To gain deeper insights into the inhibition mechanism, theoretical methods such as density functional theory, Monte Carlo simulations, and molecular dynamics were applied to investigate the adsorption behavior of the compound on the steel surface. The adsorption process follows the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting the coexistence of physisorption and chemisorption interactions. Surface morphology and elemental composition analyses using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) confirm the formation of a protective inhibitor film on the steel surface. Full article
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21 pages, 14426 KiB  
Article
Corrosion Resistance and Surface Conductivity of 446 Stainless Steel with Electrochemical Cr-Enrichment and Nitridation for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Bipolar Plates
by Ronghai Xu, Yangyue Zhu, Ruigang Zhu and Moucheng Li
Metals 2025, 15(5), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050566 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 444
Abstract
The development of bipolar plate materials with enhanced corrosion resistance and surface conductivity is critical for the commercial application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The corrosion behavior and surface conductivity of electrochemically nitrided 446 stainless steel with and without the pretreatment [...] Read more.
The development of bipolar plate materials with enhanced corrosion resistance and surface conductivity is critical for the commercial application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The corrosion behavior and surface conductivity of electrochemically nitrided 446 stainless steel with and without the pretreatment of Cr-enrichment were investigated in the simulated PEMFC anode and cathode environments (i.e., 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4 + 2 ppm HF solution bubbled with hydrogen or air at 80 °C) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and electrochemical measurement techniques. Extending the nitriding time from 5 to 30 min enhances the surface conductivity but reduces the corrosion resistance. After the pretreatment and 30 min of nitridation, a thin film formed on the specimen surface, which mainly consists of Cr-nitrides and -oxides with atomic fractions of 0.42 and 0.37, respectively. The Cr-enriched and nitrided specimen shows spontaneous passivation in both the simulated cathode and anode environments and higher corrosion potentials, lower passive current densities, and larger polarization resistances in comparison with the directly nitrided specimens. Its stable current densities are about 0.26 and −0.39 μA cm−2 after 5 h of polarization tests at 0.6 VSCE in the cathode environment and at −0.1 VSCE in the anode environment, respectively. Its contact resistance is about 5.0 mΩ cm2 under 1.4 MPa, which is close to that of the specimen directly nitrided for 120 min and slightly decreases after the potentiostatic polarization tests. These results indicate that Cr-rich pretreatment improves not only the corrosion resistance and surface conductivity of nitrided specimens but also the efficiency of electrochemical nitridation. Full article
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12 pages, 2631 KiB  
Article
Alkaloid Extract from Chimarrhis cymosa as a Corrosion Inhibitor for C38 Steel in 1M Hydrochloric Acid: Electrochemical and XPS Studies
by Mahado Said-Ahmed and Mounim Lebrini
Metals 2025, 15(5), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050523 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 363
Abstract
The inhibitory effect of the alkaloid extract from Chimarrhis cymosa on C38 steel corrosion in 1M HCl was examined through electrochemical investigations. An inhibition efficiency of 90% was achieved with 200 mg/L of the alkaloid extract from Chimarrhis cymosa at 25 °C. Potentiodynamic [...] Read more.
The inhibitory effect of the alkaloid extract from Chimarrhis cymosa on C38 steel corrosion in 1M HCl was examined through electrochemical investigations. An inhibition efficiency of 90% was achieved with 200 mg/L of the alkaloid extract from Chimarrhis cymosa at 25 °C. Potentiodynamic polarization revealed that the extract acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. Nyquist plots showed that an increase in the concentration of the alkaloid extract from Chimarrhis cymosa led to an increase in charge-transfer resistance and a decrease in double-layer capacitance, resulting in enhanced inhibition efficiency. The adsorption of inhibitor molecules followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. XPS analysis confirmed the formation of an inhibitor layer on the steel surface containing the Chimarrhis cymosa alkaloidic extract. Full article
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20 pages, 8233 KiB  
Article
Transformation of TiN to TiNO Films via In-Situ Temperature-Dependent Oxygen Diffusion Process and Their Electrochemical Behavior
by Sheilah Cherono, Ikenna Chris-Okoro, Mengxin Liu, R. Soyoung Kim, Swapnil Nalawade, Wisdom Akande, Mihai Maria-Diana, Johannes Mahl, Christopher Hale, Junko Yano, Shyam Aravamudhan, Ethan Crumlin, Valentin Craciun and Dhananjay Kumar
Metals 2025, 15(5), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15050497 - 29 Apr 2025
Viewed by 807
Abstract
Titanium oxynitride (TiNO) thin films represent a multifaceted material system applicable in diverse fields, including energy storage, solar cells, sensors, protective coatings, and electrocatalysis. This study reports the synthesis of TiNO thin films grown at different substrate temperatures using pulsed laser deposition. A [...] Read more.
Titanium oxynitride (TiNO) thin films represent a multifaceted material system applicable in diverse fields, including energy storage, solar cells, sensors, protective coatings, and electrocatalysis. This study reports the synthesis of TiNO thin films grown at different substrate temperatures using pulsed laser deposition. A comprehensive structural investigation was conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Non-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (N-RBS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), which facilitated a detailed analysis that determined the phase, composition, and crystallinity of the films. Structural control was achieved via temperature-dependent oxygen in-diffusion, nitrogen out-diffusion, and the nucleation growth process related to adatom mobility. The XPS analysis indicates that the TiNO films consist of heterogeneous mixtures of TiN, TiNO, and TiO2 phases with temperature-dependent relative abundances. The correlation between the structure and electrochemical behavior of the thin films was examined. The TiNO films with relatively higher N/O ratio, meaning less oxidized, were more electrochemically active than the films with lower N/O ratio, i.e., more oxidized films. Films with higher oxidation levels demonstrated enhanced crystallinity and greater stability under electrochemical polarization. These findings demonstrate the importance of substrate temperature control in tailoring the properties of TiNO film, which is a fundamental part of designing and optimizing an efficient electrode material. Full article
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