The corrosion inhibition properties of 2-(1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-yl)pyrrolidine (2-TP) on mild steel in a 1 M HCl solution were investigated using weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and open circuit potential (OCP) measurements. In addition, DFT calculations were performed on 2-TP. The polarization curves revealed that 2-TP is a mixed-type inhibitor. The results indicate that 2-TP is an effective inhibitor for mild steel corrosion in a 1.0 M HCl solution, with an inhibition efficiency of 94.6% at 0.5 mM 2-TP. The study also examined the impact of temperature, revealing that the inhibition efficiency increases with an increasing concentration of 2-TP and decreases with a rise in temperature. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the mild steel surface followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the free energy value indicated that the adsorption of 2-TP is a spontaneous process that involves both physical and chemical adsorption mechanisms. The DFT calculations showed that the adsorption of 2-TP on the mild steel surface is mainly through the interaction of the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom of the thiadiazole ring with the metal surface. The results obtained from the weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, EIS and OCP measurements were in good agreement with each other and confirmed the effectiveness of 2-TP as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1.0 M HCl solution. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential use of 2-TP as a corrosion inhibitor in acid environments.
Iron (III) oxide, a stable semiconductor with versatile applications, was synthesized alongside Sn-doped Fe2O3 (Sn-Fe2O3) using the sol-gel technique. Characterization via X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed the presence of α- and γ-Fe2O3 phases in the synthesized powders. Incorporation of the dopant reduced the initial band gap energy of Fe2O3 (2.2 eV) by approximately 0.1 eV. To evaluate photocatalytic performance, Fe2O3 and Sn-Fe2O3 were tested for decolorization efficiency of a methyl orange solution. Results revealed the 5 wt% Sn-doped catalyst as optimal, achieving complete degradation of methyl orange within 120 min under simulated solar light. The addition of small amounts of Sn effectively reduced the Fe2O3 band gap and significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance. Investigation of pH and dye concentration impact on photocatalytic degradation revealed superior activity under acidic conditions compared to alkaline. Furthermore, maintaining a moderate concentration of methyl orange (10 ppm) ensured optimum photocatalytic activity.
Due to growing environmental concerns and regulations limiting the use of harmful and toxic synthetic corrosion inhibitors, there is a high demand for sustainable corrosion inhibitors. In this study, a green and rapid technique was used to synthesize amide N-(4-aminobutyl)palmitamide (BAPA) which yielded 91.17% of the product within 2 min, compared to a low yield of 75-80% and a very long 8-10 h reaction time with the conventional thermal condensation method. The chemical structure of BAPA was analyzed by FT-IR, 1HNMR and 13CNMR spectra, as well as CHNS elemental analysis. When applied to mild steel exposed to 1 M HCl, BAPA delayed and reduced corrosion by adsorbing to the steel surface to form a protective layer. The inhibition efficiency increased with increasing amide concentration, and maximal inhibition of 91.5% was observed at 0.5 mM BAPA. The adsorption of BAPA on mild steel in an acidic solution was studied and inhibition performance was correlated with the calculated adsorption-free energy ΔGads, indicating good agreement between the experimental and adsorption findings. Surface morphology of untreated and treated mild steel coupons was evaluated by SEM, and based on density functional theory (DFT) computations and atomic charges analysis, a stronger interaction was observed between BAPA and mild steel surface leading to the formation of a compact protective film on the metallic surface. This protective film is attributed to the presence of nitrogen atoms and carbonyl group in the chemical structure of BAPA.