Recent Progress in Organic Inhibitors for Anticorrosion in Complex Acid Environments
Source abstract
Abstract
Corrosion in complex acid environments, such as high temperatures and acidic downhole conditions, remains a critical threat to well integrity during oil and gas acidizing. This review firstly examines the influence of downhole variables, including temperature, acidity, and steel, on the performance of organic inhibitors. It analyzes molecular design strategies that enhance the stability and adsorption of traditional inhibitor classes, including Mannich Bases, quaternary ammonium salts, and benzimidazoles, through structural modifications such as rigid heterocycles, extended alkyl chains, and multi-dentate architectures. The discussion extends to synergistic formulations, sustainable alternatives derived from biopolymers or green chemistry, and intelligent responsive systems. Furthermore, the growing role of computational methods, from molecular dynamics simulations to AI-driven molecular design, in accelerating the discovery of high-performance inhibitors is highlighted. Together, these advances offer a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective on developing adaptive, efficient, and environmentally compatible corrosion protection strategies for next-generation hydrocarbon extraction.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Corrosion Behavior and Inhibition · Petroleum Processing and Analysis · Hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion behaviors in metals
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Research Institute of Natural Gas Technology, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company of PetroChina, Chengdu 610213, China
Engineering Technology Department, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company of PetroChina, Chengdu 610213, China
College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Funding
National Science and Technology Major Project of China · Major Science & Technology Projects of PetroChina
References (100+)
Show source-provided references
1. Ultra-high temperature and salinity resistant microspheres featuring “Rigid hydrophobic core- soft hydrophilic Shell” structure for deep reservoir profile control10.1016/j.cej.2025.161432 ↗
2. Preparation and application performance of high-temperature and high-pressure resistant microencapsulated acid for acid fracturing in ultra-deep reservoir10.1016/j.cej.2025.170204 ↗
3. Experimental evaluations of nano high-viscosity friction reducers to improve acid fracturing efficiency in low-permeability carbonate reservoirs10.1016/j.cej.2024.149358 ↗
4. Research on High Temperature Resistant and Low Corrosion Solid-Free Killing Fluid for Ultra-Deep Wells
5. Effect of crude oil on the rate of diffusion-controlled corrosion in pipelines under turbulent flow conditions10.1515/corrrev-2017-0084 ↗
6. Optimization and Evaluation of Corrosion Inhibitors for P110S Steel in Coexisting H2S/CO2 System
7. Experimental Study on Solid Acid Systems for Acid Fracturing in Ultrahigh-Temperature Carbonate Reservoirs10.1021/acsomega.5c04835 ↗
8. Stress corrosion cracking behavior and mechanism of super 13Cr stainless steel in simulated O2/CO2 containing 3.5 wt% NaCl solution10.1016/j.engfailanal.2021.105748 ↗
9. Impact of inhibition mechanisms, automation, and computational models on the discovery of organic corrosion inhibitors10.1016/j.pmatsci.2024.101392 ↗
10. Molecular simulations of anticorrosion behavior of inhibitors for steel in concrete: A review on recent advances and progress10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.134808 ↗
11. AI-driven discovery of high-performance corrosion inhibitors using a BERT-GPT framework for molecular generation10.1016/j.corsci.2025.113327 ↗
12. Accelerating corrosion inhibitor discovery through computational routes: A case of naphthalene 1-thiocarboxamide10.1038/s41529-023-00421-x ↗
13. Heteroatomic multiple bonded corrosion inhibitors: Coordination chemistry, bonding and synergistic behavior of σ-donors and π-acceptors10.1016/j.ccr.2025.216683 ↗
14. Taghavikish, M., Dutta, N.K., and Choudhury, N.R. (2017). Emerging Corrosion Inhibitors for Interfacial Coating. Coatings, 7.10.3390/coatings7120217 ↗
15. Farid, R., Sarkar, D.K., and Das, S. (2025). Studies of Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Inorganic Inhibitors for Aluminum Alloy. Materials, 18.10.3390/ma18030595 ↗
16. In-situ encapsulation of organic and inorganic inhibitors into 2D zeolitic imidazolate framework assisted by sodium gluconate for enhanced anticorrosion protection of AA202410.1016/j.corsci.2025.113226 ↗
17. Enhancing the efficiency of hydrogen permeation inhibition by means of the synergistic effects of inorganic and organic inhibitors10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.03.285 ↗
18. Revealing the atomic-scale mechanism of organic corrosion inhibitors in suppressing anodic dissolution of metals via ab initio molecular dynamics and meta dynamics simulations: A case study of sorbitol on aluminum10.1016/j.corsci.2025.113326 ↗
19. Corrosion Inhibition Behavior of Imidazoline Rich in Double Bonds in Saturated CO2 Brine
20. Environmentally responsive semi-interpenetrating network microcapsules with enhanced stability for corrosion protection10.1039/D5MH00679A ↗
21. Film-forming amines as corrosion inhibitors: A state-of-the-art review10.1038/s41529-024-00523-0 ↗
22. Molecular modeling of the diffusion of ammonia through corrosion inhibitor films on copper10.1016/j.corsci.2024.112491 ↗
23. An extensive analysis of isoindigotin derivatives as effective corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in acidic corrosive environments: An electrochemical and theoretical investigation10.1016/j.porgcoat.2024.108960 ↗
24. Coalescing theoretical and experimental approaches for Schiff base and its copper complex as high-performing corrosion inhibitors for XC52 alloy10.1016/j.porgcoat.2024.109011 ↗
25. Improved anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coatings based on pH-sensitive gels loaded with inhibitors10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.12.160 ↗
26. A critical review on nano ferrites pioneering a paradigm shift in corrosion inhibition towards different metal/alloys in diverse corrosive environments10.1016/j.jece.2024.115277 ↗
27. Advances in hybrid organic-inorganic coordination complexes (HOICCs) as a new generation of smart anti-corrosive materials10.1007/s42114-025-01503-x ↗
28. Understanding N-site substituents effect on corrosion inhibition performance of benzotriazoles derivatives in copper chemical mechanical planarization: Theoretical and experimental analysis10.1016/j.mtchem.2025.102850 ↗
29. Joule-Thomson Effect on Bottom Hole Temperature in Ultra-High-Temperature and High-Pressure Gas Wells10.1021/acsomega.4c09926 ↗
30. A model for evaluating fracture leakage based on variations in bottom-hole temperature and pressure during the fracturing process10.1016/j.geoen.2024.212902 ↗
31. A fracture initiation model for carbon dioxide fracturing considering the bottom hole pressure and temperature condition10.1016/j.petrol.2019.106541 ↗
32. Zhang, R.Y., Li, J., Liu, G.H., Yang, H.W., and Jiang, H.L. (2019). Analysis of Coupled Wellbore Temperature and Pressure Calculation Model and Influence Factors under Multi-Pressure System in Deep-Water Drilling. Energies, 12.10.3390/en12183533 ↗
33. Interpretation of bottom-hole temperature data from CO2 injection projects10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.103132 ↗
34. High temperature sweet corrosion and inhibition in the oil and gas industry: Progress, challenges and future perspectives10.1016/j.petrol.2019.106469 ↗
35. The reduction ring-opening reaction of imidazoline10.1007/BF03028851 ↗
36. Benzylamine as volatile corrosion inhibitor for top-of-the-line corrosion in water-hydrocarbon co-condensation environment10.1016/j.jpse.2024.100253 ↗
37. Winkler, D.A. (2017). Predicting the Performance of Organic Corrosion Inhibitors. Metals, 7.10.3390/met7120553 ↗
38. Enhancing the inhibition of localised corrosion on a pre-rusted steel surface by the synergistic effect of rare-earth and inorganic inhibitors10.1016/j.electacta.2025.147346 ↗
39. Yao, J., Peng, Z., Wang, S., Zhao, Q., Xie, E., Chen, G., Liu, Z., Wang, Y., and Ouyang, J. (2025). A review on thermo-optical properties of complex rare-earth thermal barrier oxides in extreme environments: Measurement methodology, materials and applications. J. Rare Earths, in press.10.1016/j.jre.2025.07.009 ↗
40. Zhao, W.W., Li, F.X., Lv, X.H., Chang, J.X., Shen, S.C., Dai, P., Xia, Y., and Cao, Z.Y. (2023). Research Progress of Organic Corrosion Inhibitors in Metal Corrosion Protection. Crystals, 13.10.3390/cryst13091329 ↗
41. Corrosion Behavior of 110SS Steel in Self-Generated Acid at High Temperature10.1002/maco.202414624 ↗
42. Research and Application of Segmented Acid Fracturing by Temporary Plugging in Ultradeep Carbonate Reservoirs10.1021/acsomega.1c03021 ↗
43. A Review on Use of Emulsified Acids for Matrix Acidizing in Carbonate Reservoirs10.1021/acsomega.3c07132 ↗
44. Li, Z.Q., Sun, L.H., Huang, B.L., and Luo, S.S. (2025). A Study on the Productivity of Ultra-Deep Carbonate Reservoir (UDCR) Oil Wells Considering Creep and Stress Sensitivity Effects. Processes, 13.10.20944/preprints202504.0966.v1 ↗
45. Li, D., Song, W., Zhang, J., Yin, C., Zhao, M., Chao, H., Zhang, J., Lei, Z., Fan, L., and Liu, W. (2023). Corrosion Inhibition Mechanism of Ultra-High-Temperature Acidizing Corrosion Inhibitor for 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel. Materials, 16.10.3390/ma16062358 ↗
46. Halogen-Free Functional Quaternary Ammonium-Based Ionic Liquid as an Ecofriendly Corrosion Inhibitor for Q235 Steel in Acids10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02632 ↗
47. Yan, W., Ma, Z.L., Wang, Z., Zhang, J.R., Li, K.P., Wen, L., Li, C., Jiang, X.H., and Xu, Z.X. (2023). Localized Corrosion Mechanism of Q125 Casing Steel in Residual Acid Solution during Oil Reservoir Acidizing. Coatings, 13.10.3390/coatings13040710 ↗
48. Asymmetric Gemini surfactants as corrosion inhibitors for N80 steel in 15 % HCl solution: Experimental and theoretical approaches10.1016/j.colsurfa.2025.138977 ↗
49. Understanding the interaction between erosion and corrosion of pipeline steel in acid solution of different pH10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.07.109 ↗
50. Development of environmentally benign corrosion inhibitors for organic acid environments for oil-gas industry10.1016/j.molliq.2021.115514 ↗
51. Ionic liquids as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel protection in hydrochloric acid solution: A first review10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.12.066 ↗
52. Revealing the degradation mechanism of the lanthanum nickelates based double-layer electrodes during long-term tests in contact with chromium-containing steel interconnects10.1002/er.8028 ↗
53. Homogeneously Dispersed Graphene Nanoplatelets as Long-Term Corrosion Inhibitors for Aluminum Matrix Composites10.1021/acsami.1c07148 ↗
54. Understanding xanthone derivatives as novel and efficient corrosion inhibitors for P110 steel in acidizing fluid: Experimental and theoretical studies10.1016/j.jpcs.2022.111064 ↗
55. Zhuoke, L., Jun, C., Ting, M., and Dan, N. (2021). Synthesis of bimannich base with thiazole and its corrosion inhibition effect on H2S and CO2 at high temperature. BMC Chem., 15.10.1186/s13065-021-00784-9 ↗
56. Synthesis and Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Mannich Bases on Mild Steel in Lactic Acid Media10.1021/acsomega.2c03545 ↗
57. Synthesis, characterization and anticorrosion mechanism of n-hexylamine Mannich base corrosion inhibitor10.1016/j.ces.2025.122342 ↗
58. Synergistic Effect of Thiourea and Mannich Base as Corrosion Inhibitors for 13Cr Stainless Steel in High Temperature and High Concentration Hydrochloric Acid10.1002/sia.70017 ↗
59. Enhancing the corrosion inhibition performance of Mannich base on mild steel in lactic acid solution through synergistic effect of allicin: Experimental and theoretical study10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.137658 ↗
60. N-(4-Chloromethylbenzyl)-N, N-dimethyldodecan-1-aminium Chloride: A Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant as Corrosion Inhibitor10.1002/slct.202301913 ↗
61. Lin, H., Chen, X., Luo, Z., Xu, J., Lu, P., Xie, T., Tang, J., and Wang, H. (2024). Corrosion Inhibition Properties of Corrosion Inhibitors to under-Deposit Corrosion of X65 Steel in CO(2) Corrosion Conditions. Molecules, 29.10.3390/molecules29112611 ↗
62. Corrosion Inhibition of Benzyl Quinoline Chloride Derivative-Based Formulation for Acidizing Process10.2118/218374-PA ↗
63. Synthesis of a novel fused heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salt and its performance in ultra-low dosage as acidizing corrosion inhibitor10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.137571 ↗
64. A quinoline-based quaternary ammonium salt dimer as corrosion inhibitor for N80 steel in lactic acid solution10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.135914 ↗
65. Construction and performance study of quaternary ammonium salt inhibitor for carbon steel corrosion in high temperature (180 °C) during oilfield acidification10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.143655 ↗
66. Electrochemical, microstructural and theoretical validation of 2-(2-Bromophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole as inhibitor for C1018 steel during very aggressive CO2 corrosion10.1016/j.mtcomm.2024.109965 ↗
67. Experimental and theoretical evaluation of the corrosion inhibition performance of two benzimidazole derivatives for low carbon steel in acidic solution10.1039/D5RA02749G ↗
68. Experimental and computational study of newly synthesized benzimidazole derivatives as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1.0 M HCl: Electrochemical, surface studies, DFT modeling, and MC simulation10.1016/j.jelechem.2024.118699 ↗
69. Synthesis and assessment of benzimidazole derivatives as effective corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in acidic environments: An experimental and theoretical approach10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.143281 ↗
70. Evaluation of corrosion inhibition performance of ethyl- and benzyl-substituted benzimidazole derivatives for mild steel in 1 M HCl: Experimental and computational studies10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107389 ↗
71. Benzimidazole derivatives: Design; synthesis, and electrochemical assessment as efficient mild steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic environments10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.142890 ↗
72. New Benzimidazole derivatives as efficient organic inhibitors of mild steel corrosion in hydrochloric acid medium: Electrochemical, SEM/EDX, MC, and DFT studies10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.139901 ↗
73. Synthesis of a new benzimidazole surfactant as a new effective corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in 1 M HCl acid medium: Experimental, surface morphological (SEM-EDX) and computational analysis10.1016/j.molstruc.2025.143175 ↗
74. Synthesis, crystal structure, experimental and theoretical studies of corrosion inhibition of 2-((4-(2-hydroxy-4-methylbenzyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-5-methylphenol—A Mannich base10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.128539 ↗
75. Mannich bases as corrosion inhibitors: An extensive review10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.136421 ↗
76. Mannich bases: Chemical structure; chemistry, coordination bonding and application in aqueous phase corrosion protection10.1016/j.jiec.2023.10.056 ↗
77. Novel Mannich-Type Multicomponent Reactions: Discovery, Mechanism, and Application10.1021/acs.accounts.5c00338 ↗
78. Insights into the newly synthesized bi- Mannich base for carbon steel corrosion inhibition in H2S and HCl solution10.1038/s41598-024-70905-6 ↗
79. A Mannich-base imidazoline quaternary ammonium salt for corrosion inhibition of mild steel in HCl solution10.1016/j.matchemphys.2022.126956 ↗
80. Preparation of novel silica mannich base nanoparticles and corrosion inhibition properties on N80 steel under high acidic conditions10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.162715 ↗
81. Investigation on the synergy mechanism of mixed inhibitors—Mannich base and Na2WO2 on Fe surface by molecules dynamic simulation10.1080/08927022.2019.1610953 ↗
82. Synthesis and characterization of nano-SiO2@octadecylbisimidazoline quaternary ammonium salt used as acidizing corrosion inhibitor10.1515/rams-2022-0006 ↗
83. Novel quaternary ammonium Gemini surfactant as a highly efficient inhibitor for the corrosion of steel in HCl and H2SO4 solutions10.1016/j.jmst.2024.10.038 ↗
84. Avdeev, Y.G., Nenasheva, T.A., Luchkin, A.Y., Marshakov, A.I., and Kuznetsov, Y.I. (2022). Effect of Quaternary Ammonium Salts and 1,2,4-Triazole Derivatives on Hydrogen Absorption by Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid Solution. Materials, 15.10.3390/ma15196989 ↗
85. Adsorption and inhibition of rosin thiourea imidazole quaternary ammonium salt on steel surface in HCl solution10.1016/j.colcom.2024.100788 ↗
86. Two novel triazine-based quaternary ammonium salt Gemini surfactants as potential corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in a sulfate-reducing bacteria solution: Experimental and theoretical studies10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40385 ↗
87. Synthesis of a new quaternary ammonium salt for efficient inhibition of mild steel corrosion in 15% HCl: Experimental and theoretical studies10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38425 ↗
88. Chitosan derivatives as promising green corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in acidic environment: Inhibition performance and interfacial adsorption mechanism10.1016/j.jcis.2023.02.141 ↗
89. Xiang, J., Mo, C., Peng, C., Yang, L., Wan, T., Song, Y., Lei, X., Liu, P., Gao, B., and Ren, D. (2024). An Evaluation of the Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Chitosan Modified by Quaternary Ammonium Salt for Carbon Steel in Stone Processing Wastewater. Molecules, 29.10.3390/molecules29143401 ↗
90. Study on the corrosion inhibition properties of some quinoline derivatives as acidizing corrosion inhibitors for steel10.1016/j.ijoes.2024.100547 ↗
91. Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Quaternary Ammonium Salt as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Oil-Well Acidizing Processes10.1021/acsomega.3c02094 ↗
92. Research on the corrosion inhibition performance and mechanism of pyrimidine quaternary ammonium salt10.1108/ACMM-04-2024-3006 ↗
93. Highly Biodegradable Corrosion Inhibitors Derived from Sunflower Oil for Mild Steel Corrosion in CO2- and H2S-Saturated Oilfield-Produced Water10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c01684 ↗
94. Experimental and theoretical investigations of three Mannich-base imidazoline quaternary ammonium salts as efficient inhibitors for Q235 steel in sulfuric acid10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.157946 ↗
95. Synthesis of Gemini-type imidazoline quaternary ammonium salt using by-product fatty acid as corrosion inhibitor for Q235 steel10.1038/s41598-024-64671-8 ↗
96. Theoretical insights into the structural characteristics and inhibition mechanisms of quaternary ammonium salt and imidazolium-based ionic liquid: DFT and MD simulations10.1016/j.ijoes.2025.100979 ↗
97. The relationship between adsorption-desorption and inhibition efficiency of imidazoline quaternary ammonium salt under flow10.1016/j.jiec.2025.06.028 ↗
98. Marinescu, M. (2019). Recent advances in the use of benzimidazoles as corrosion inhibitors. BMC Chem., 13.10.1186/s13065-019-0655-y ↗
99. Benzimidazole: Small planar molecule with diverse anti-corrosion potentials10.1016/j.molliq.2017.09.041 ↗
100. Bioinspired Heterocyclic Compounds as Corrosion Inhibitors: A Comprehensive Review10.1002/asia.202100201 ↗