Corrosion articles from across Nature Portfolio

Aqueous batteries have a short lifespan due to Al current collector corrosion and Li loss from side reactions on the anode. Here, the authors propose a prototype of self-prolonging aqueous Li-ion batteries by introducing hydrolyzation-type anodic additives to regulate Al corrosion-passivation.

Heterogeneous catalysis that occurs when the anodic and cathodic reactions are short-circuited in an appropriate electrolyte is conceptualized as mixed-potential-driven catalysis, however, its theoretical framework remains underexplored. Here, the authors propose the overpotentials as the driving force of the catalysis and extend Prigogine’s theory to formulate the kinetic equations for the energy conversion from the cathodic and anodic half-reactions into overpotentials, by formation of a mixed potential determined by the catalytic activity.

The easy and scalable synthesis, biocompatibility, one-dimensionality, high aspect ratio, viability for surface modifications, and the ability for cargo-loading and release make organic nanotubes ideal candidates for smart coatings with slow and controlled release corrosion inhibitors and anti-biofouling agents. The wide-ranging applicability of organic nanotubes as controlled release nanocarriers for smart anti-corrosion and anti-biofouling coatings is foreseen.

Advanced characterization and modelling techniques provide unique insights into oxidant transport processes in growing scales of high-temperature alloys and alloy design for improving their degradation resistance in harsh environments.

The finding of a sharp interface between a chemically attacked surface and the pristine bulk in a borosilicate glass is at odds with the widely held diffusion-based mechanisms of glass durability.