Fabrication of anti-corrosion films on copper surfaces via UV-induced thiol-ene click reaction

In this study, a novel nano-scale conversion film with exceptional corrosion resistance was developed on a copper surface through the synergistic application of click chemistry and self-assembly techniques. The film was synthesized using pentaerythritol (2-mercaptoacetate) (PETMP) and triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC). During the fabrication process, thiol groups preferentially formed a self-assembled monolayer via thiol-Cu(I) coordination interactions. Subsequent UV triggered click reactions between unreacted thiol groups and the double bonds in TAIC, providing a significant driving force for three-dimensional film growth. The resulting PETMP-TAIC-UV film exhibited enhanced chemical reactivity and improved surface adsorption capacity, as indicated by its reduced HOMO-LUMO energy gap and more negative adsorption energy . Compared to the PETMP monomer, the structural units formed via the click reaction demonstrated stronger physicochemical interactions with the Cu (111) surface, leading to increased film density and adhesion strength. The optimized film achieved a thickness of 77.8 nm, with a protection efficiency of 99.9 % and a polarization resistance approximately 150 times higher than that of a single PETMP film.