Studies of iron corrosion inhibition using chemical, electrochemical and computer simulation techniques

The inhibitive action of some benzimidazole derivatives namely 2-(2-furanyl)-1H-benzimidazole (FB), 2-(2-pyridyl) benzimidazole (PB) and 2-(4-thiazolyl) benzimidazole (TB), against the corrosion of iron in solutions of nitric acid has been studied using density function theory calculations (DFT), weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The calculated electronic parameters involved in the activity of the benzimidazole derivatives confirmed that the position of the side chain in the benzimidazole moiety affects the pattern of activity. The effectiveness of the benzimidazole derivatives is following the order TB > PB > FB. The same order is supported by the experimental chemical and electrochemical measurements. The relationships between inhibition efficiency of iron in 1.0 M HNO₃ and the molecular orbitals of the studied molecules as well as number of electrons transferred ΔN from the inhibitor molecules to the iron surface were calculated by DFT method. The inhibition efficiency increased with the increase in E_HOMO and decrease in E_LUMO-E_HOMO. TB had the highest inhibition efficiency because it had the highest HOMO energy and ΔN values, and it was most capable of offering electrons. Molecular modeling was used to evaluate the structural, electronic and reactivity parameters of the selected benzimidazole derivatives in relation to their effectiveness as corrosion inhibitors. Results obtained from weight loss, dc polarization and ac impedance measurements are in reasonably good agreement and show increased inhibitor efficiency with increasing inhibitor concentration.Data obtained from EIS were analyzed to model the corrosion inhibition process through equivalent circuit.