New, Amino Acid Based Zwitterionic Polymers as Promising Corrosion Inhibitors of Mild Steel in 1 M HCl

The zwitterionic monomers, N,N’-diallylamino propanephosphonate and amino acid residual N,N’-diallyl-l-methionine hydrochloride were synthesized, with excellent yields. These monomers were utilized in the preparation of zwitterionic homo and co-cyclopolymers 5–7 in aqueous solution using 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride as an initiator. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR, NMR, and TGA. The performance of these synthesized polymers on mild steel in acidic solution was investigated by gravimetric method, Tafel extrapolation, linear polarization resistance, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. At 313 K, the maximum inhibition efficiencies of corrosion inhibitors 5–7 at 4.50 × 10−4 mol L−1 were found to be 85.2%, 83.3%, and 99.5%, respectively. The inhibition efficiencies obtained from gravimetric weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were in good agreement. Different adsorption isotherms were also explored to find the best fit, and found to obey Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters, such as activation energy (Ea), standard enthalpy of activation (ΔH*), standard entropy of activation (ΔS*), adsorption–desorption equilibrium constant (Kads), and standard free energy of adsorption (ΔGoads), were determined. Electrochemical data indicated that the zwitterionic copolymer 7 acts as a mixed type inhibitor under the influence of anodic control. The surface morphology of mild steel corrosion was evaluated without and with corrosion inhibitors by AFM, SEM-EDX, and XPS, which confirmed the adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface.