Carbon Nanotubes as Anticorrosive Coatings: A Review

Abstract

Corrosion is a major cause of material degradation and economic loss across a wide range of industrial environments. Among emerging nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted considerable attention in anticorrosive coating systems owing to their exceptional mechanical strength, high electrical conductivity, large specific surface area, and excellent chemical stability. This review discusses the role of CNTs in anticorrosive coatings in terms of barrier enhancement, corrosion inhibition, electrochemical protection, composite reinforcement, and bio-related protective functions. Existing studies indicate that the incorporation of CNTs can significantly improve coating compactness, interfacial adhesion, mechanical durability, and overall corrosion resistance, while also imparting multifunctional protective properties. Nevertheless, their practical application remains limited by several challenges, including agglomeration, poor dispersion, insufficient interfacial compatibility, and the lack of standardized protocols for long-term performance evaluation. Overall, CNT-based anticorrosive coatings show considerable promise for advanced corrosion protection. Future research should therefore focus on controllable surface functionalization, environmentally friendly and scalable fabrication strategies, mechanism-driven material design, and systematic evaluation under realistic service conditions.