Electrochemical Synthesis of Hybrid Materials Based on Polyelectrolyte Complexes of Chitosan and Their Physicochemical Properties

The morphology, structure, and elemental composition of hybrid materials based on polyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan with nickel and cobalt oxides formed on the surface of stainless steel are studied by using asymmetric alternating current. The X-ray phase analysis has shown that cobalt hydroxyisocyanate is the main phase of these hybrid materials. These hybrid materials are shown to be promising as the electrodes in supercapacitors with alkaline electrolyte, their specific capacitance reaching 479 F g(-1) at the current density of 1 A g(-1). The antimicrobial activity of hybrid materials with respect to gram-positive (S. aureus) and gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria is revealed. The corrosion-protective properties of the hybrid materials are studied in 3.5 mass % NaCl solution. They are shown to shift the corrosion potential in the positive region as compared with unprotected steel.