ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Euphorbia prostrata as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for steel: electrochemical and DFT studies

Jasdeep Kaur, Akhil Saxena, Elyor Berdimurodov, and Dakeshwar Kumar Verma

Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University Mohali, Mohali, India

E-mail: akhil.uis@cumail.in

Received: 30 August 2022  Accepted: 7 October 2022

Abstract:

The risk of mild steel corrosion during the acid cleaning process can be reduced by using an aqueous extract of Euphorbia prostrata plant. The efficiency of Euphorbia prostrata plant extract for corrosion inhibition was explored by applying weight loss analysis, SEM, potentiodynamic polarization measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and DFT studies on mild steel corrosion in 1 M H₂SO₄. This extract contains β-sitosterol, Campesterol, Stigmasterol, Cholesterol, Apigenin, Luteolin, Apigenin-7-glucoside, Luteolin-7-glucoside, Gallic acid, and Ellagic acid. The availability of multiple bonds and heteroatoms in the phytochemicals of this extract are primarily responsible for its anticorrosive properties. The plant extract solution has a higher ∆Ha in the presence of an inhibitor (47.67 kJ/mol) than in the absence of an inhibitor (8.59 kJ/mol) suggesting that the metal is better protected. Furthermore, from quantum chemical studies, we compared the effectiveness of the phytochemicals present in the extract. At 1500 mg/L, the maximal inhibition efficiency of 96.23% in 1 M H₂SO₄ solution was obtained.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Euphorbia prostrata; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Quantum chemical calculations; Green corrosion inhibitors; Economic productivity

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02533-1

Chemical Papers 77 (2) 957–976 (2023)