Integrating experimental and theoretical studies in the development of a novel alginate-based bio-composite for copper anticorrosion in 3.5 % NaCl environments

The development of new coatings based on a biopolymer, epichlorohydrin-modified alginate, and alginate-epichlorohydrin-SrTiO₃ nanocomposites incorporating SrTiO₃ (STO) nanoparticles in the alginate (Alg) matrix (Alg-Ep-STO), has been addressed in this study. Various characterization techniques were employed to analyze the prepared compounds, including X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as surface analysis methods such as Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarisation (PDP) methods were used to evaluate corrosion inhibition and protection durability. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of STO nanoparticles into the alginate matrix with epichlorohydrin significantly improved the metal's resistance to corrosion. The experimental findings received reinforcement from various computational methods, including density functional theory (DFT), Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, which were employed to investigate the interactions between the Alg-Ep-STO nanocomposite and the copper surface. The computational outcomes revealed that the Alg-Ep-STO nanocomposite exhibits robust adhesion to the copper surface, maintaining a flat orientation, with its alignment being notably influenced by the presence of STO nanoparticles.