A novel l-histidine based ionic liquid (LHIL) as an efficient corrosion inhibitor for mild steel

Abstract

A novel L-histidine based ionic liquid (LHIL) was developed and successfully synthesized. Its structure was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ¹H-NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The outstanding corrosion inhibition effect of the LHIL on mild steel in 1 M hydrochloric acid was thoroughly evaluated by Tafel plots, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and localized electrochemical strategies. The results revealed that the corrosion of mild steel was effectively suppressed by the adsorption of LHIL on its surface, and the best inhibition efficiency reached 98.8%. The adsorption behavior of LHIL on steel obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which involved both chemisorption and physisorption. Theoretical calculations indicated the strong chemisorption of LHIL on steel, as proved by the low energy gap (ΔE = 0.0522 eV) and high binding energy (E_binding = 303.47 kcal mol⁻¹), which clearly confirmed the effectiveness of LHIL for steel protection.