'Miracle material' graphene is thinnest known anti-corrosion coating

New research has established the 'miracle material' called graphene as the world’s thinnest known coating for protecting metals against corrosion. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms, many layers of which are in lead pencils and charcoal, and is the thinnest, strongest known material. In graphene, the carbon atoms are arranged like a chicken-wire fence in a layer so thin that it is transparent, and an ounce could cover 28 football fields. Copper coated by growing a single layer of graphene through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) corroded seven times slower than bare copper, and nickel coated by growing multiple layers of graphene corroded 20 times slower than bare nickel; remarkably, a single layer of graphene provides the same corrosion protection as conventional organic coatings that are more than five times thicker. Graphene coatings could be ideal corrosion-inhibiting coatings in applications where a thin coating is favorable, such as microelectronic components (e.g., interconnects, aircraft components and implantable devices), say the scientists.