Study on the Mechanism and Electrochemical Performance of Self-Powered Cathodic Protection for Reinforced Concrete in Marine Environment

Abstract

In marine environments, reinforced concrete structures are vulnerable to long-term corrosion of steel reinforcement caused by chloride ingress. Conventional cathodic protection systems that depend on external power sources suffer from well-known limitations, including high maintenance costs, considerable energy consumption, and limited sustainability. To address these issues, this study presents a self-powered cathodic protection system driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) for environmentally friendly corrosion prevention. The system employs a polytetrafluoroethylene particle-copper electrode TENG integrated with a buoy structure to efficiently harvest wave energy. Coupled with integrated rectification and energy management circuits, the system converts irregular, low-frequency wave motion into a stable direct current output, thereby enabling sustained cathodic protection. Under simulated marine conditions, the TENG exhibited an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) exceeding 2000 V, a short-circuit current (I_sc) of approximately 50 μA, and a maximum power density of 1428 mW·m⁻² at an excitation frequency of 2.0 Hz. Electrochemical analyses confirmed that this self-powered system significantly suppressed steel corrosion, showing a notable negative shift in corrosion potential and a sharp drop in corrosion current density. No visible rust was observed even after long-term immersion.

Keywords

cathodic protection / concrete / reinforced / self-powered

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2026 The Author(s). Carbon Neutralization published by Wenzhou University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.