Ag and graphene co-sensitized TiO composites were successfully fabricated and used as photoanodes for photogenerated cathodic protection of 304 stainless steel (304SS) under visible light. Graphene films was firstly deposited onto the TiO nanotube (NT) films via cyclic voltammetric electrodeposition. Ag/graphene/TiO films were then fabricated via dipping and photoreduction method. The morphology, composition and optical response of the Ag/graphene/TiO NT composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The photocathodic protection performance of the Ag/graphene/TiO composites were systematically studied through open-circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution under visible light (λ > 400 nm). The composites exhibited enhanced photogenerated cathodic protection performance for 304SS under visible light irradiation compared to pure TiO. Graphene and Ag have a synergistic effect on the enhancement of photocathodic protection performance of TiO. The composites prepared with 30-cycle graphene film and 15 mM AgNO solution showed the optimal corrosion protection performance.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.