Graphene Coatings as Barrier Layers to Prevent the Water-Induced Corrosion of Silicate Glass

Abstract

Corrosion-protective coatings for silicate glass based on the transfer of one or two layers of graphene grown on copper by chemical vapor deposition have been demonstrated. The effectiveness of graphene to act as a glass corrosion inhibitor was evaluated by water immersion testing. After 120 days of immersion in water, bare glass samples had a significant increase in surface roughness and defects, which resulted in a marked reduction in fracture strength. In contrast, the single- and double-layer graphene-coated glasses experienced negligible changes in both fracture strength and surface roughness. The anticorrosion mechanism was also studied.