Strategies, Challenges, and Future Prospects for Selective Corrosion Removal in Bronze and Copper‐Based Alloys

ABSTRACT The selective removal of corroded surface layers remains a major challenge in the conservation and functional preservation of goods made of bronze and other copper‐based alloys. Corrosion products formed under diverse environmental conditions are typically chemically heterogeneous and stratified, complicating their controlled removal without causing substrate damage or loss of original surface features like engravements or texts which are often present on, for example, bronze cultural heritage relics. A broad range of mechanical, chemical, electrochemical, laser‐based, plasma‐assisted, and bio‐mediated approaches has been developed, but most of those strategies face intrinsic limitations in precision, controllability, and compatibility with complex corroded materials systems. This review provides a critical and systematic assessment of current corrosion‐removal methodologies for bronze, benchmarking their performance in terms of surface selectivity, removal depth, and chemical specificity. By highlighting the limitations of established techniques, the analysis reveals the need for more controllable and minimally invasive surface‐engineering concepts. In this context, emerging atomic‐scale removal strategies based on cyclic, self‐limiting surface reactions, including atomic layer etching, are discussed as prospective pathways toward higher precision and substrate compatibility. Although these concepts remain largely unexplored in bronze conservation, they offer a framework for rethinking corrosion removal across heritage and functional copper‐alloy applications.