The proposed project addresses the critical problem of corrosion of steel reinforcement in 
concrete by investigating the fundamental mechanisms governing the stability of passive films 
at the steel–cement interface. Emphasis is placed on understanding how physicochemical 
properties of engineered surface layers influence ion transport, corrosion initiation, and 
interfacial degradation under combined chemical and mechanical stress. A combination of 
advanced deposition methods and high-resolution analytical techniques will be employed to 
gain mechanistic insights into multilayer–cement interactions. The results will contribute to the 
development of predictive models and durable corrosion protection strategies with direct 
implications for the design and service life of reinforced concrete infrastructure.