Development of micro-nanostructured film with antibacterial, anticorrosive and thermal conductivity properties on copper surface.

A micro-nano sharkskin like film (Cu-MNS-FA) was synthesized on copper surface through chemical etching followed by formate passivation, and its anticorrosive, antibacterial and thermal conductivity properties were investigated. Results show that after 7 d of exposure to nature, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Desulfovibrio vulgaris seawater, the charge transfer resistance of Cu-MNS-FA is more than three times higher than that of unmodified copper. In particular, in D. vulgaris seawater, the Rct value of modified copper is 7 times higher than that of unmodified copper after the same exposure duration. The counts of sessile cells, specifically P. aeruginosa and D. vulgaris, on the surface of modified copper are reduced by > 88 % after 3 days of immersion. Furthermore, thermal conductivity remains 10 % higher than that of untreated copper after 7 d of immersion. This film improves the performance characteristics of copper in seawater heat exchange systems.