Research progress of TiO2 photocathodic protection to metals in marine environment.

Corrosion protection has become an important issue as the amount of infrastructure construction in marine environment increased. Photocathodic protection is a promising method to reduce the corrosion of metals, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used photoanode. This review summarizes the progress in TiO2 photogenerated protection in recent years. Different types of semiconductors, including sulfides, metals, metal oxides, polymers, and other materials, are used to design and modify TiO2. The strategy to dramatically improve the efficiency of photoactivity is proposed, and the mechanism is investigated in detail. Characterization methods are also introduced, including morphology testing, light absorption, photoelectrochemistry, and protected metal observation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of TiO2 development and guide photocathodic protection. © Chinese Society for Oceanology and Limnology, Science Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020.