Corrosion of the metal oxide surface of cupronickel (CuNi) alloys is a problem in applications such as household water pipes, industrial pipelines, and marine vessels. On other substrates, thin films have been used as barriers to corrosion. Here, the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the CuNi metal oxide surface has been investigated. Stable, well-ordered SAMs of octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) and 16-phosphonohexadecanoic acid (COOH-PA) were formed on the metal oxide surface of CuNi foils (55% Cu/45% Ni) using a solution deposition method. The ODPA modified surfaces could be used to provide a non-reactive barrier that inhibits corrosion of the CuNi metal oxide surface. Meanwhile, COOH-PA films could be used for further surface reactions such as surface initiated polymerization, in which polymer coatings are grown directly from a well-ordered film. Film-modified surfaces were characterized using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, contact angle analysis, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The ability of the films to inhibit corrosion by limiting oxidation of the CuNi surface was assessed using cyclic voltammetry. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.