Alkanethiols as Inhibitors for the Atmospheric Corrosion of Copper Induced by Formic Acid: Effect of Chain Length

摘要

The atmospheric corrosion of copper has been studied for many years, due to its extensive use in a wide variety of industrial applications. Carboxylic acids, such as acetic and formic acids, are particularly aggressive towards copper, and are frequently present in indoor environments. In this work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of organic materials were evaluated as corrosion inhibitors for copper when exposed to such accelerants. More specifically, the impact of the chain length of self-assembled n-alkanethiols on copper exposed to a humid, formic acid-containing environment was explored.