Conducting polymers based composite materials towards anticorrosion applications

Metal based products are widely used, but they are susceptible to corrosion from environmental media, thereby affecting their performances and lifespan. Conducting polymers (CPs), as a series of important materials in organic electronics, have shown extensive corrosion prevention applications in fields such as ships and marine facilities, grounding system equipment, and military facilities, etc. Their development provides great safety, economic and social values, and has been one focus of academic and industrial circles. This is due to the unique reversible redox properties and tunability of CPs, which not only enable the rapid formation of passivation layer on the metal surface to prevent further corrosion from occurring. But at the same time, the coatings can be optimized according to different application requirements. This paper emphasizes the promising working mechanisms of CPs in anticorrosion field, introduces the commonly used methods for effectiveness evaluation, and also significantly discusses the aspects of their material system modulation and practical application. The existing challenges are also highlighted and future developments are prospected in detail. It is hoped to enlighten and drive scholars and technicians working in various cross-cutting areas covering anticorrosion, coatings, polymers, composites, and organic electronics, etc.