Theoretical and Experimental Study for Corrosion Inhibition of Carbon Steel in Salty and Acidic Media by A New Derivative of Imidazolidine 4-One

Abstract

A new imidazolidine 4-one derivative, of namly 2-[2-(4-Bromo-phenyl)-imidazo [1,2-a] pyridine-3-yl]-3-(4-nitro-phenyl)-imidazolidine-4-one (BPIPNP) was investigated as corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in salty (3.5% NaCl) and acidic (0.5M HCl) solutions using potentiometric polarization measurements. The results revealed that the percentage inhibition efficiencies (%IE) in the salty solution (90.67%) are greater than that in the acidic solution (83.52%). Experimentally, the thermodynamic parameters obtained have supported a physical adsorption mechanism and which followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Density Functional Theory (DFT) of quantum mechanical method with B3LYP 6-311++G (2d, 2p) level was used to calculate geometrical structure, physical properties and inhibition efficiency parameters, in vacuum and two solvents (DMSO and H₂O), all at the equilibrium geometry. The surface changes of carbon steel were studied using  Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) techniques.