Physiochemical interactions of chiral Schiff bases on high carbon steel surface: Corrosion inhibition in acidic media

(S)1-N-(1-hydroxy-1,1-diphenyl-3-methylbut-2-yl)-2-hydroxybenzaldimine (DPV) and (S)1-N-(1-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-yl)-2-hydroxybenzaldimine (LV) were synthesized and investigated as inhibitors for the corrosion of the high carbon steel (HCS) in 1.0 M HCl by electrochemical measurements. According to the electrochemical methods, inhibitor DPV showed higher efficiency in comparison to that of LV. The Tafel polarization method revealed the mixed-mode inhibition of chiral Schiff bases with predominant control of the anodic reaction. The adsorption of the inhibitor molecules onto the HCS surface was found to follow the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The values of the Gibbs free energy of adsorption strongly supported spontaneous physicochemical adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the HCS surface. The adsorption mechanism for inhibition was supported by Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM–EDS) spectroscopic methods, and adsorption isotherms.