Oxidation resistance of graphene-coated Cu and Cu/Ni alloy

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that graphene coatings grown by chemical vapor deposition effectively protect copper and Cu/Ni alloy surfaces from oxidation and hydrogen peroxide damage, offering a durable and versatile protective solution.

Contribution

First demonstration of graphene films grown by CVD protecting Cu and Cu/Ni alloys from oxidation and chemical damage, with detailed characterization.

Findings

Graphene coatings prevent oxidation after heating at 200°C for 4 hours.

Graphene provides resistance against hydrogen peroxide.

Protection is effective on metals catalyzing graphene growth.

Abstract

The ability to protect refined metals from reactive environments is vital to many industrial and academic applications. Current solutions, however, typically introduce several negative effects, including increased thickness and changes in the metal physical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the ability of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition to protect the surface of the metallic growth substrates of Cu and Cu/Ni alloy from air oxidation. SEM, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS studies show that the metal surface is well protected from oxidation even after heating at 200 \degree C in air for up to 4 hours. Our work further shows that graphene provides effective resistance against hydrogen peroxide. This protection method offers significant advantages and can be used on any metal that catalyzes graphene growth.