Cerium molybdenum oxide hydrate microflakes are codeposited with nickel from a deep eutectic solvent-based bath. During seven days of exposure in 0.05 M NaCl solution, the corrosion resistance of composite coating (Ni/CeMoOxide) is slightly reduced, due to the existence of some microcracks caused by large microflakes. Multielemental analysis of the solution, in which coatings are exposed and the qualitative changes in the surface chemistry (XPS) show selective etching molybdenum from microflakes. The amount of various molybdenum species within the surface of coating nearly completely disappear, due to the corrosion process. Significant amounts of Ce3+ compounds are removed, however the corrosion process is less selective towards the cerium, and the overall cerium chemistry remains unchanged. Initially, blank Ni coatings are covered by NiO and Ni(OH)2 in an atomic ratio of 1:2. After exposure, the amount of Ni(OH)2 increases in relation to NiO (ratio 1:3). For the composite coating, the atomic ratios of both forms of nickel vary from 1:0.8 to 1:1.3. Despite achieving lower corrosion resistance of the composite coating, the applied concept of using micro-flakes, whose skeleton is a system of Ce(III) species and active form are molybdate ions, may be interesting for applications in materials with potential self-healing properties.
Graphene-Reinforced Zn–Ni Alloy Composite Coating on Iron Substrates by Pulsed Reverse Electrodeposition and Its High Corrosion Resistance