Polydopamine as a hydrogen radical scavenger to prevent embrittlement of steel

YD Lei and N Dontschuk and S Kim and E Goudeli and L Liu and CA Scholes and SE Kentish, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, 101, 419-426 (2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.12.341

Hydrogen embrittlement is a phenomenon in which hydrogen radicals penetrate steel structures, leading to weakened integrity and susceptibility to cracking and fracture. In this work, we explore the use of internal coatings that can scavenge these hydrogen radicals before they enter the steel. Polydopamine (PDA) films and particles were fabricated by dopamine self-polymerisation and exposed to gas phase hydrogen radicals generated by a microwave-assisted plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed significant alterations in the composition and concentration of functional groups on the PDA surface after exposure to these hydrogen radicals. The results indicate that the reaction between PDA and hydrogen radicals primarily occurs within the catechol and quinone groups of the PDA structure with a noticeable decrease in the oxygen atom percentage and a change in relative proportions of the quinone and catechol groups. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations corroborated the experimental outcomes, confirming that the hydrogen radicals indeed react with the quinone and catechol moieties present in PDA. This study underscores the potential to scavenge hydrogen radicals and prevent their penetration into steel piping through the use of a PDA coating, thereby mitigating the risk of hydrogen embrittlement.

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