Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion‐Resistant Alloys: Mechanisms and Design Strategies

ABSTRACT

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a widespread degradation challenge threatening metallic infrastructure in marine and industrial environments. Conventional materials‐based mitigation approaches act primarily as external barriers and do not directly control the coupled microbial, electrochemical, and microstructural processes that govern long‐term damage. Unlike previous reviews organized primarily by microbial taxa or protection technologies, this review establishes a mechanism‐oriented framework that maps distinct MIC pathways to guide the rational design of MIC‐resistant alloys. The fundamental MIC mechanisms, including metabolite‐induced corrosion, oxygen concentration cells, and extracellular electron transfer, are outlined to establish the basis for bespoke materials design. Three interrelated design strategies are proposed: (i) microbial‐level inhibition through antibacterial alloying; (ii) interfacial regulation through passive film engineering to regulate charge transfer; and (iii) microstructure‐integrated design, including nanoprecipitates, multiphase structures, and multicomponent alloys, to achieve synergistic antibacterial, mechanical and corrosion‐resistant performance. Finally, key challenges and future directions toward durable and adaptive MIC‐resistant materials are discussed, providing guidance for bridging mechanistic understanding and engineering applications.