ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Study on the effect of electronic carriers on extracellular electron transfer microbial corrosion in carbon starvation environment

Yanyu Cui, Xihao Pan, Yu Li, Qingmiao Ding, and Junda Lv

Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

E-mail: qmding@cauc.edu.cn

Received: 1 April 2025  Accepted: 11 August 2025

Abstract:

In microbial corrosion of aluminum alloys induced by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), electron carriers can promote its corrosion. However, the role of electron carriers in microbial corrosion under carbon-deficient conditions remains unclear. In this thesis, riboflavin was used as an electron carrier, and electrochemical techniques, surface analysis techniques, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) systems were used to mainly analyze the effect of electron carriers on the microbial corrosion behavior of 2024 aluminum alloy under carbon deficient environment. The results showed that when the medium carbon content was 40% and riboflavin was added, the aluminum alloy samples did not show obvious passivation, the corrosion severity was the highest, and the surface corrosion products accumulated in large quantities, with a roughness of 0.7 μm. SRB promoted the corrosion of aluminum alloys through the process of extracellular electron transfer, and the catalytic current-promoting effect of carbon starvation was more pronounced than that of electron carriers.

Keywords: Carbon starvation; Riboflavin; Extracellular electron transfer; Microbial corrosion; Aluminum alloy

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04446-1

Chemical Papers 80 (1) 1037–1053 (2026)