Corrosion of steel in concrete has resulted in shorter service life of concrete constructions and it may also cause serious safety accident. Chloride attack and carbonation of the concrete are two of the most crucial trigger factors for the initiation of corrosion. In order to protect the reinforced steel in concrete from corrosion, in this work, a composite inhibitor of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) intercalated with organic phthalates (PTL) and hydroxide ions (MgAl-LDHs-OH-PTL) were synthesized by calcination-reconstruction methods in ambient atmosphere. The structure, composition and morphology of the prepared MgAl-LDHs-OH-PTL were obtained by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy, respectively. The electrochemical measurements indicated that the inhibition efficiency of MgAl-LDHs-OH-PTL for carbon steel in the simulated carbonated concrete pore (SCCP) solutions reached more than 90% when its concentration was 20 g/L. It was found that the MgAl-LDHs-OH-PTL possessed multifunctional protection roles for the carbon steel in concrete, which mainly included decrease of aggressive Cl-ions, increase of the pH of SCCP solutions and release of PTL anions to the solution gradually. The work indicated the promising potential of LDHs compounds as effective multifunctional inhibitors in the field of corrosion protection of reinforced concrete.

Oxygen evolution potential is the determining factor affecting the anode efficiency of the wastewater treatment process. In this study, we focus on increasing oxygen evolution potential of Cr-SnO2/Ti and Cr-Sb-SnO2/Ti electrodes with the pyrolytic method. XRD, SEM and XPS techniques had been applied to characterize the microstructures and chemical compositions of the samples. Electrochemical measurements had been performed to evaluate the oxygen evolution potential as a criterion of the wastewater treatment efficiency. The results show that co-doping of Sb and Cr improved the crystallinity and grain size of SnO2 coating, and Cr existed in the form of Cr(III) valence states. The Cr doping treatment improved the electronic conductivity and the electrocatalytic activity of the electrodes. DFT calculation of the band-structure indicates Cr doped SnO2 had a superior electrical conductivity, where Cr atom acts as an acceptor providing vacancies for electron transportation. The DOS diagrams reveal the Cr doped SnO2 showing a p-type conductivity which would subsequently influence the built-in potential on metal-semiconductor interface. We proposed the mechanism of the increase of oxygen evolution potential is the doping of Cr expands the built-in potential.

A mussel adhesive protein based nanocomposite thin film was produced to be applied as surface pre-treatment or primer on rebars of reinforced concrete. The film deposition and drying processes were investigated to enhance the corrosion protection, and facilitate large-scale industrial applications. The morphology, chemical composition and microstructure of the film were characterised with SEM, EDS, Micro-IR and AFM techniques. EIS results suggested the film provides excellent and increased corrosion protection for the carbon steel in mild and extreme concrete pore solutions. In-situ AFM results demonstrated the self-healing ability of the film to the pitting corrosion.

Graphene has exhibited massive potential as a macroscale solid lubricant, but its durability is limited due to the weak adhesion between graphene sheets and the substrate. Here, inspired by mussel adhesive protein (MAP), effective reinforcement of the graphene-substrate interaction to attain remarkable enhancement on the durability of the graphene film is presented. The mussel-inspired graphene (mGr) film exhibits a coefficient of friction stabilizing at 0.16 up to 490000 sliding cycles in the friction testing against the silicon nitride ball; in the identical sliding condition, comparatively, the graphene (Gr) film without MAP only lasts 4300 sliding cycles. The analysis of Raman and ATR-FTIR demonstrates that, on the one hand, the MAP film firmly adsorbs onto the substrate via forming metal-catechol coordination bonds with metal atoms; on the other hand, it establishes strong interactions with graphene sheets by hydrogen bonding as well as the pi-pi overlap. As an interlayer, MAP retains graphene sheets within the contact interface in the form of a compact tribo-layer, which results in an over 2 orders of magnitude enhancement of durability for the mGr film. This strategy of improving the graphene-substrate adhesion via MAP offers an avenue for the development of effective and reliable graphene-based solid lubricants for engineering applications.

Many of traditional anti-corrosion approaches using chromate are effective but hazardous to natural environment and human health, so development of green and effective alternatives is desirable. One of the mussel adhesive proteins derived from mussel byssus presents extraordinary adhesion to steel surface and exhibits film-forming and corrosion inhibition properties. Novel strategies for enhancing the corrosion inhibition of steel by the protein have been demonstrated recently. The protein together with ceria nanoparticles presents a great potential for the development of new corrosion inhibitors and thin films that are "green" and "effective," and have "smart" protection properties.

In this review, we show the life cycle of parabens, commonly used preservatives that exist in nature and commercial products. Typical synthetic methods to produce parabens, and a set of complimentary characterization techniques to monitor the composition of parabens are also highlighted. This includes solid state analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), in-situ monitoring of crystallization process using Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM), Particle Vision Measurement (PVM), quantitative detection via High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Gas Chromatography (GC). An improved understanding of the overall physical, biophysical and chemical properties of parabens and their life cycle, summarized in this article, are vital for the safety control and extensive applications of relevant products in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

A nanocomposite film composed of mussel adhesive protein (MAP) and CeO2 nanoparticles has been explored as a 'green' alternative for corrosion protection of carbon steel. In this work, the nanocomposite film of sub-micron thickness was deposited on carbon steel surface by one-step-dipping method. The film was characterized by using scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy and atomic force microscope (AFM). The measurements of scanning reference electrode technique and in-situ AFM were performed to investigate the initial localized corrosion process at defects and self-healing ability of the nanocomposite film. The results demonstrate that the nanocomposite film possesses a certain self-healing ability and provides excellent corrosion protection for carbon steel in neutral 0.1 M NaCl solution. The self-healing ability is attributed to the functional group (catechol) of the MAP, and the healing process is explained by the fact that Fe ions released from the surface defects promote the formation of Fe-catecholato complexes in the nanocomposite film, which retards the localized corrosion at these defects.

An EFM system for corrosion rate test based on electrochemical frequency modulation technique has been established by means of virtual instrument， which consists of a potentiostat， a laptop equipped with a DAQ card and applications developed in LabVIEW. Experiments has been performed in laboratory to determine anodic and cathodic Tafel slopes as well as corrosion current densities for the systems 304 stainless steel/HCl and Q235 steel in H2SO4 and NaCl.It was shown that the EFM system could be used successfully for corrosion rate mea?鄄surement under various corrosion conditions.