Unveiling the future of steel corrosion inhibition: a revolutionary sustainable odyssey with a special emphasis on N+-containing ionic liquids through cutting-edge innovations

Abstract

The advancement of sustainable and green technologies for the mitigation of corrosion, driven by the escalating awareness of ecological considerations and stringent environmental regulations, is of paramount importance. Over the past decade, significant attention has been directed towards inhibiting metallic corrosion using ionic liquids (ILs) owing to their intriguing characteristic properties and their capacity to be adsorbed, followed by the formation of an effective barrier film onto metallic surfaces. This review comprehensively explores the application of ILs with a special emphasis on N⁺-containing ILs as “next-generation corrosion inhibitors” for metal substrates, specifically steel surfaces, across various aggressive environments, highlighting the trend towards “hype vs. hope”. Additionally, this review elucidates the adsorption mechanism and intriguing factors that trigger the adsorption process of ILs by employing state-of-the-art experimental as well as computational approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of their corrosion inhibition potential.