Overview of phenol electropolymerization for metal protection

After briefly summarizing the most common reactions used in the chemical synthesis of polyoxyphenylenes, this paper reviews the electrochemical polymerization of phenols for metal protection. It also describes how the reaction media, sometimes in unexpected ways, influence the chemical composition of the coatings and the status of the metal surface. The role of the adsorption of monomers and other components of electrolysis baths is discussed on the basis of in situ spectroelectrochemical data. Lastly, it is shown that the adhesion between coatings and substrates may be influenced by acting either on the metal surface or on the polymer layer; adhesion is of primary importance in determining the rate of degradation of coatings exposed to a corrosive medium.