Corrosion inhibition of copper with octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) in a simulated indoor atmospheric environment

W. Zhao, T. Chang, C. Leygraf and C. M. Johnson

Corrosion Science, 192, 109777 (2021)
The corrosion inhibition of self-assembled octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) layers on non-oxidized and pre-oxidized copper and Langmuir-Blodgett deposited ODPA layers on pre-oxidized copper was investigated under a simulated indoor atmospheric corrosion environment containing 80% RH and 100 ppb formic acid. The corrosion process was monitored in-situ with infrared absorption/reflection spectroscopy, and the corrosion products were further characterised by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Nano-FTIR microscopy was used to reveal the nature, size, and distribution of the corrosion products on the nanoscale. The combination of pre-formed cuprite and ODPA layers, both with only some nanometres thickness, provided an excellent protection under this environment.