Green synthesis of corrosion inhibitor with biomass platform molecule: Gravimetrical, electrochemical, morphological, and theoretical investigations

Considering the concept of green chemistry and the vision of human sustainability, a new corrosion inhibitor named N1-(2-aminoethyl)-N2-(2-(2-(furan-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-1-yl) ethyl) ethane-1,2-diamine (NNED) is synthesized from biomass platform molecules. Both weight loss and electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the corrosion inhibitor had good anti-corrosion performance for carbon steel in 1 M HCl medium, with inhibition efficiency higher than 90% at lower level of inhibitor concentration (5 ppm). The adsorption of NNED on the steel surface was spontaneous and obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The corrosion morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Force-distance curve directly quantified the adhesion force between the adsorption films and the metal surface. Quantum chemical calculation and molecular dynamics simulation were applied to study the corrosion inhibition mechanism. •Corrosion inhibitor was synthesized by a green chemical method using a biomass platform molecule as a reaction substance.•The inhibitor molecule has corrosion inhibition efficiency over 90% at 5ppm.•Quantum chemical and molecular dynamics simulations were applied to study the molecular charge distribution.•AFM force-distance curve directly quantifies the adhesion force between the adsorption film and the metal surface.