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CORROSION INHIBITION AND ADSORPTION BEHAVIOR OF
MALACHITE GREEN DYE ON ALUMINUM CORROSION
E. E. Oguzie
a
; C. O. Akalezi
a
; C. K. Enenebeaku
a
; J. N. Aneke
a
a
Electrochemistry and Materials Science Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Federal
University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Online publication date: 20 October 2010
To cite this Article Oguzie, E. E. , Akalezi, C. O. , Enenebeaku, C. K. and Aneke, J. N.(2011) 'CORROSION INHIBITION
AND ADSORPTION BEHAVIOR OF MALACHITE GREEN DYE ON ALUMINUM CORROSION', Chemical
Engineering Communications, 198: 1, 46 60
To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/00986445.2010.493118
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00986445.2010.493118
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Corrosion Inhibition and Adsorption Behavior of
Malachite Green Dye on Aluminum Corrosion
E. E. OGUZIE, C. O. AKALEZI, C. K. ENENEBEAKU,
AND J. N. ANEKE
Electrochemistry and Materials Science Research Laboratory,
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology,
Owerri, Nigeria
Malachite green dye (MG) was studied as a corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in
1.0 mol dm
3
HCl and 0.5 mol dm
3
KOH using the gravimetric technique. The
results revealed an inhibiting effect of MG, which was highly restrained in 0.5 M
KOH and pronounced in 1.0 M HCl. MG inhibited the corrosion reaction in the
acidic medium by adsorption on the metal=solution interface following the Flory-
Huggins isotherm. Inhibition efficiency increased with MG concentration and
synergistically increased in the presence of iodide ions, but decreased with a rise
in temperature. The local reactivity of the MG molecule was analyzed theoretically
using the density functional theory to explain the adsorption characteristics, while
molecular dynamics simulations were performed to illustrate the adsorption struc-
ture of MG at a molecular level. The theoretical predictions showed good agreement
with experimental results.
Keywords Adsorption; Aluminum; Corrosion; Molecular dynamics; Organic
inhibitors
Introduction
The corrosion of aluminum and its alloys has been a subject of numerous studies due
to their widespread utility (Shao et al., 2002; Moutarlier et al., 2003; Ashassi-
Sorkhabi et al., 2006; Sherif and Park, 2006). In addition, corrosion resistance by
aluminum and its alloys in different environments is another subject of intense
research. In aqueous solution, aluminum generally exhibits passive behavior, which
influences its corrosion susceptibility. Nevertheless, the adhesive passivating surface
oxide film is amphoteric and hence cannot withstand strong acidic and alkaline
solutions. The breakdown of the surface film in such environments exposes bare
Al surface sites to the corrodent, thereby accelerating the corrosion reaction
(Onuchukwu, 1988; Kliskic et al., 2000).
Efforts have been made to ameliorate the aluminum surface film dissolution and
hence protect the integrity of the metal in aggressive media. A useful strategy is to
effectively isolate the metal surface from the corrosive agents, which can be achieved
by use of corrosion inhibitors. Several groups of organic compounds, especially
Address correspondence to E. E. Oguzie, Electrochemistry and Materials Science
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, PMB
1526, Owerri, Nigeria. E-mail: oguziemeka@yahoo.com
Chem. Eng. Comm., 198:4660, 2011
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0098-6445 print=1563-5201 online
DOI: 10.1080/00986445.2010.493118
46
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those containing polar groups such as nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen as well as hetero-
cyclics containing conjugated double bonds have been reported to exert inhibitive
effects on metal corrosion via adsorption at the metal=corrodent interface (Madkour
et al., 1999; Kliskic et al., 2000; Shao et al., 2002; Branzoi et al., 2002; Maayta and
Al-Rawashdeh, 2003; Abdallah, 2004; Mehra and Soni, 2004; Benabdellah et al.,
2007; Doulami et al., 2004; Anuradha et al., 2008; Migahed and Al-Sabagh, 2009).
In this case, the metal acts as an electrophile and the polar functions of the inhibitor
molecule act as nucleophiles, with free electron pairs that are readily available for
sharing with the metal surface. The polar function is thus the reaction center for
the adsorption process, and the resulting adsorption film acts as a barrier isolating
the metal surface from the corrodent. Although the study of corrosion inhibition sys-
tems has received widespread attention over the years, there is still no generally
acceptable consensus as to the precise mechanisms governing the adsorption and
corrosion inhibiting effect, though such factors as the number and types of adsorp-
tion sites on the metal surface as well as the type of interaction between the organic
molecule and the metallic surface play important roles. Noteworthy, however, is the
fact that the efficiency of organic inhibitors can be synergistically increased on
addition of halide salts to the solution (Ekpe et al., 2001; Tang et al., 2003; Fouda
et al., 2005).
Over the years in our laboratory, we have been investigating a series of organic
dyes as potential inhibitors in metal corrodent systems. The studies have dual
purpose: to determine the corrosion inhibition efficacies of the dyes and to better
understand and elucidate the mechanisms of the inhibition process. Though we have
yet to identify any precise structure-activity relationships, it is worth mentioning that
metals that do not adsorb these dyes are often corroded by them. We have found
some azo dyes (Oguzie et al., 2005, 2006), heterocyclic dyes (Oguzie et al., 2004a,b),
and triarylmethane dyes (Oguzie, 2009) to be effective inhibitors of aluminum
corrosion. The present study investigates the inhibiting effect of malachite green dye
(MG; Figure 1), an amino triphenylmethane dye, on aluminum corrosion in hydro-
chloric acid and potassium hydroxide solutions, but is focused more on the former
for reasons that will subsequently become obvious. The dye finds some applications
in medical science as an antiseptic (Sharma, 2006). More importantly, the molecular
structure of MG, characterized by the presence of a tertiary amine group and quino-
noid group, suggests that it is likely for this molecule to adsorb on the Al surface by
sharing the electrons of the nitrogen atoms and the pi electrons of the aromatic
nucleus. Both interactions can make it possible for MG to form coordinate bonds with
Al. We have also performed some theoretical quantum mechanical calculations to
optimize the inhibitors molecular structure and molecular dynamics simulations
to predict the adsorption structures at a molecular level.
Figure 1. Molecular structure of malachite green dye (MG).
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 47
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Experimental Section
Aluminum sheets of the type AA1060 and purity 98.8% were used in this study. Each
sheet, which was 0.14 cm in thickness, was mechanically press-cut into coupons of
dimension 3 cm3 cm, with a hole of diameter 0.6 cm drilled in each coupon so that
they could be suspended freely in the test solutions with the aid of glass hooks and
rods. These coupons were used in the as cut condition, i.e., without further polish-
ing, but were degreased in absolute ethanol, dried in acetone, weighed and stored in a
moisture-free desiccator prior to use. The aggressive media were 1.0 M HCl and
0.5 M KOH solutions prepared from analytical reagent grade chemicals and distilled
water. MG (Unichem, India) was dissolved in 1.0 M HCl and 0.5 M KOH respect-
ively to obtain the desired concentrations (10
4
1.0 mM). We also assessed
co-inhibition by MG and iodide ions on aluminum corrosion in 1.0 M HCl solution
to identify any synergistic effects. Potassium iodide (KI) solutions (10
5
mM and
10
3
mM) were prepared in the blank corrodent and in 10
2
mM MG.
Weight loss measurements were carried out by fully immersing the test coupons
in 200 mL of the test solutions for 2 h at 3060

C, under aerated conditions. After

the corrosion test, the coupons were retrieved, cleaned appropriately, and reweighed,
and the corrosion rate was determined as previously reported (Oguzie, 2009). All
tests were run in triplicate and the data showed good reproducibility. Average values
for each experiment were obtained and used in subsequent calculations.
All theoretical quantum mechanical calculations were performed using the
density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure programs Forcite and DMol
3
as contained in the Materials Studio 4.0 software.
Results and Discussion
Corrosion Rates and Corrosion Inhibition Efficiency
The surface of Al was uniformly corroded in aggressive media, with corresponding
reduction in the thickness of the coupons. The corrosion rates of Al in 1.0 M HCl
and 0.5 M KOH solutions with and without inhibitor were thus assessed by gravi-
metric measurements. The results presented are means of triplicate determinations,
with standard deviation ranging from 0 to 0.001. Figure 2 compares the results
obtained after 2 h of immersion at 30

C and clearly shows higher corrosion suscep-

tibility of Al metal in 0.5 M KOH. Al corrosion in alkaline media has been shown to
be progressive at all concentrations due to formation of an aluminate AlO

2
ion
(Mousa et al., 1988):
Al OH

H
2
O !AlO

2
3=2H
2
1
In addition, OH

ions, selectively adsorbed on the surface of the metal, hinder the

formation of a protective oxide layer on the surface, thereby accelerating the
dissolution process:
Al
2
O
3
2OH

!2AlO

2
H
2
O 2
The heat evolved from this reaction accelerates further dissolution of the oxide and
activates the dissolution of the bare metal surface sites exposed to the aggressive
medium. Again, the overall corrosion process is generally characterized by rapid
48 E. E. Oguzie et al.
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effervescence in which the hydrogen gas evolution provides self-agitation at the inter-
face and disperses the corrosion products. All these features always pose a consider-
able challenge in ameliorating the corrosion of Al in aqueous alkaline environments.
The plots in Figure 2 also show a notable diminution of Al weight loss in the
corrodents on addition of MG, implying a corrosion inhibiting effect of the additive.
The percentage inhibition efficiency (g %) was calculated using the equation:
g% 1
CR
inh
CR
blank

100 3
where CR
blank
and CR
inh
are respectively the corrosion rates of Al in the absence
and presence of MG. The trend of inhibition efficiency is illustrated in Figure 3 as
a function of MG concentration and shows that efficiency of inhibition improved
with concentration in both 1.0 M HCl and 0.5 M KOH solutions.
The experimental data in Figures 2 and 3 clearly show that the inhibitive effect of
MG on Al corrosion in 0.5 M KOH was very minimal. This, however, is a common
feature of Al corrosion in alkaline environments and possible reasons for such beha-
vior were suggested in an earlier report (Oguzie, 2009). However, unlike the case in
the previous study, the inhibition efficiency of MG in 0.5 M KOH, under any con-
dition, could not be improved beyond the values illustrated in Figure 3. We thus
decided to discontinue discussion of the inhibitive effect of MG in this medium, which
is not very significant, and focus more on the acid medium. Maximum inhibition
efficiency was 77.8% in 1.0 M HCl at the highest MG concentration investigated.
Adsorption Considerations
Assuming a direct relationship between inhibition efficiency and surface coverage (h)
[g%100 h] for different inhibitor concentrations, data obtained from our mea-
surements were adapted to determine the adsorption characteristics of MG on Al
in 1.0 M HCl solution. From Figure 3 it can be deduced that h increased with
Figure 2. Corrosion rates of Al test coupons in 1.0 M HCl and 0.5 M KOH with and without
MG at 30

C.
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 49
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concentration, suggesting that MG molecules were adsorbed on the corroding Al
surface. It is generally accepted that the first step in the adsorption of an organic
inhibitor on a metal surface usually involves the replacement of one or more water
molecules initially adsorbed on the metal surface:
Inh
sol
xH
2
O
ads
!Inh
ads
xH
2
O
sol
4
The dependence of h on MG concentration was further assessed by theoretical fitting
to different adsorption isotherms, and the adsorption of MG on the Al surface was
found to follow the substitutional isotherm of Flory-Huggins, which neglects inter-
actions between adsorbate species (Hansen and Baikerkar, 1976):
log
h
C

log K x log1 h 5
C is the inhibitor concentration, x the number of inhibitor molecules occupying an
active site (or the number of water molecules replaced by one molecule of inhibitor).
Plotting log (h=C) against log (1 h) gave a straight line (Figure 4), indicating com-
pliance with the Flory-Huggins isotherm. This indicates that MG functions by
adsorption on the corroding Al surface and the observed increase in surface coverage
with MG concentration results from enhanced dye adsorption on the metal surface.
Effect of Temperature
The effects of temperature increase on the rate of Al dissolution 1.0 M HCl without
and with 0.01 mM and 1.0 mM MG respectively was assessed and the results are
presented in Figure 5. Figure 6 illustrates the variation of inhibition efficiency with
temperature. The results suggest that MG was adsorbed on the Al surface at all
temperatures studied and the rates of corrosion in the absence and presence of
Figure 3. Inhibition efficiency vs. logarithm of concentration of MG for Al corrosion in
1.0 M HCl.
50 E. E. Oguzie et al.
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MG increased with rise in temperature. Inhibition efficiency is observed to generally
decrease with rise in temperature. This may be attributed to a possible shift of the
adsorption-desorption equilibrium towards desorption of adsorbed inhibitor due
to increased solution agitation resulting from higher rates of H
2
gas evolution. This,
as well as the roughening of the metal surface as a result of enhanced corrosion, may
also reduce the ability of the inhibitor to be adsorbed on the metal surface.
It has been suggested that adsorption of an organic inhibitor can affect the cor-
rosion rate by either decreasing the available reaction area or by modifying the acti-
vation energy of the anodic or cathodic reactions occurring in the inhibitor-free
surface in the course of the inhibition process (Bhajiwala and Vashi, 2001). The pre-
dominant effect can be assessed by comparing the apparent activation energies (E
a
)
Figure 5. Effect of temperature variation on the corrosion rate of Al in uninhibited and
inhibited 1.0 M HCl.
Figure 4. Flory-Huggins isotherm for MG adsorption on Al in 1.0 M HCl.
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 51
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for corrosion process in the absence and presence of inhibitor according to the
Arrhenius equation:
log
q
2
q
1

E
a
2:303RT
1
T
1

1
T
2

6
where q
1
and q
2
are the corrosion rates at temperatures T
1
and T
2
respectively. An
estimate of the heats of adsorption (Q
ads
) was obtained from the trend of surface
coverage with temperature as follows (Bhajiwala and Vashi, 2001):
Q
ads
2:303R log
h
2
1 h
1

log
h
1
1 h
1

x
T
1
T
2
T
2
T
1
7
h
1
and h
2
are the degree of surface coverage at temperatures T
1
and T
2
. The calcu-
lated values are given in Table I. An analysis of the temperature dependence of inhi-
bition efficiency as well as comparison of corrosion activation energies in the
Figure 6. Effect of temperature on the inhibition efficiency of MG on Al corrosion in
1.0 M HCl.
Table I. Calculated values of activation energy (E
a
) and adsorption heat (Q
ads
) for
aluminum corrosion in 1.0 M HCl in the absence and in the presence of MG
System
Activation energy E
a
(kJ mol
1
)
Heat of adsorption Q
ads
(kJ mol
1
)
1.0 M HCl 48.1
1.0 M HCl 0.01 mM MG 63.3 72.5
1.0 M HCl 1.0 mM MG 83.8 100.0
52 E. E. Oguzie et al.
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absence and presence of inhibitor gives some insight into the inhibitor adsorption
characteristics. E
a
is observed from Table I to increase in the presence of MG in
1.0 M HCl. This, coupled with the decrease in inhibition efficiency with rise in tem-
perature, suggests that MG did not alter the mechanism of the corrosion process
(Popova et al., 2003). Rather, corrosion inhibition occurred primarily through a
geometric blocking effect of the inhibitor on the aluminum surface, reducing access
of the aggressive corrosive media. The negative Q
ads
values indicate that the degree
of surface coverage decreased with rise in temperature, supporting our earlier obser-
vation that MG is more efficient as an inhibitor of Al corrosion in 1 M HCl solution
at low temperatures.
Molecular Models of the Adsorption Process
As pointed out earlier, the MG molecule possesses two N atomsa tertiary aminic
N and a quinonoid iminic N (quinoneimine)which, depending on the availability
of the electron pairs, could function as active centers for adsorption onto Al. It is
obvious that the lone pair on the quinoniminic N is delocalized over the ring, which
makes the electrons less available, hence less susceptible to attack by an electrophile.
As a result, the aminic N is more likely to function as the active center for MG
adsorption on the Al surface. This point of view was subjected to more rigorous
theoretical validation using molecular models to calculate the electronic properties
of MG.
The MG structure was first subjected to Forcite geometry optimization using
condensed-phase optimized molecular potentials for atomistic simulation studies
(COMPASS) force field and the Smart minimize method by high-convergence
criteria (Bunte and Sun, 2000). The optimized structure with total energy of
90.248 kcal=mol is given in Figure 7. We have as well determined the electronic struc-
ture of MG, including the distribution of frontier molecular orbitals and Fukui indi-
ces, with a view to establishing the active sites as well as local reactivity of the
molecule. The simulations were performed by means of the density functional theory
(DFT) electronic structure program DMol
3
using a Mulliken population analysis.
Electronic parameters for the simulation include restricted spin polarization using
the DND basis set and the Perdew Wang (PW) local correlation density functional
(Csaszar and Pulay, 1984). Analysis of the local reactivity can be performed by
means of the condensed Fukui functions, obtained by taking the finite difference
approximations from Mulliken population analysis of atoms in molecules, depending
on the direction of the electron transfer. For an organic molecule that gives up elec-
trons to a corroding metal surface, the condensed Fukui indices for electrophilic
attack (f
-
), which compares reactivity of regions of a molecule with respect to electro-
philic attack or when the molecule gives up electrons, are given by (Cruz et al., 2005;
Rodriguez-Valdez et al., 2006; Kandemirli and Sagdinc, 2007; Ju et al., 2008):
f

r q
N
r q
N1
r 8
where q
N1
, q
N
, and q
N1
are the electronic densities of anionic, neutral, and cationic
species respectively. For MG, the calculated Fukui indices for electrophilic attack (f

)
were 0.176 and 0.019 for the N atoms of the tertiary amine and quinonimine respect-
ively. These values show that when the MG molecule undergoes an electrophilic
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 53
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attack, the aminic N atom (f

0.176) is the most susceptible site, in agreement with

our earlier suggestion.
According to the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory of chemical reactivity,
transition of electrons is due to an interaction between the HOMO (highest occupied
molecular orbital) and the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) of the
reacting species. The HOMO energy (E
HOMO
) characterizes the susceptibility of
the molecule towards the attack by electrophiles, where high values of E
HOMO
indi-
cate a tendency of the molecule to donate electrons to an appropriate acceptor mol-
ecule with low energy or an empty electron orbital, in this case Al metal. The energy
of the LUMO characterizes the susceptibility of molecules towards nucleophilic
attack (Khaled, 2008; Xia et al., 2008). Figures 8(a) and 8(b) respectively illustrate
the HOMO and LUMO orbitals of MG with corresponding energies E
HOMO

7.038 eV and E
LUMO
6.799 eV. The regions of highest electron density represent
the active centers with the greatest ability to donate electron pairs and hence attach
to the metal surface. It is clear that the HOMO of MG is distributed almost exclus-
ively in the area containing the tertiary aminic nitrogen, with evidence of an electron
delocalization region. Again, the HOMO density of MG is in complete agreement
with the atom that exhibits the greatest value of the Fukui index. Both indicate
the region from where the molecule can adsorb on the metal surface, which is the
N atom of the tertiary amine group. The low values of the energy gap
DE
=
E
LUMOHOMO
(0.239) means that the energy to remove an electron from the
last occupied orbital is be minimized, implying good inhibition efficiency
(Rodriguez-Valdez et al., 2006).
We have also undertaken molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of MG
adsorption on the corroding metal surface to probe the inhibition performance at
the molecular level. MD simulation of the interaction between a single MG molecule
Figure 7. Optimized structure of malachite green dye (MG).
54 E. E. Oguzie et al.
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and the Al surface was performed using Forcite quench molecular dynamics in the MS
Modeling 4.0 software to sample many different low energy minima and to determine
the global energy minimum. Calculations were carried out in a 12 8 super cell using
the COMPASS force field and the Smart algorithm. The Al crystal was cleaved
along the (111) plane. Temperature was fixed at 350 K, with NVE ensemble; the time
step was 1 fs and simulation time 5 ps. The system was quenched every 250 steps. Opti-
mized structures of MGand the Al surface were used for the simulation. Figure 9 shows
the optimized (low energy) adsorption model for a single MG molecule on the Al (111)
surface from our simulation. Solvent and charge effects have been neglected. In agree-
ment with the electronic distribution model, the MG molecule adsorbs=anchors on the
Al surface via the aminic N, maintaining a somewhat lateral orientation.
Figure 8. HOMO (a) and LUMO (b) orbitals of MG.
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 55
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The binding energy (E
Bind
) between the MG molecule and the Al surface was
found to be 78.44 kcal=mol using the following equation (Bartley et al., 2003):
E
Bind
E
total
E
Met
E
Fe
9
In each case the potential energies were calculated by averaging the energies of the
five structures of lowest energy.
Effect of KI Additives
It is generally recognized that the halide ions, particularly iodide ions, could some-
times improve the adsorption of some organic inhibitors in acid media, resulting in
Figure 9. Molecular dynamics model of a single MG molecule adsorbed on Al (111): (a) top
view and (b) side view.
56 E. E. Oguzie et al.
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synergistic increase in inhibition efficiency (Kalman et al., 1995; Popova et al., 2003;
Harek and Larabi, 2004; Shibli and Saji, 2005; Li et al., 2006). It is thought that the
halide ions, which are normally strongly adsorbed on the corroding metal surface,
are able to improve adsorption by forming intermediate bridges between the metal
surface and the positive end of the organic inhibitor. We have assessed the effect
of iodide ions in the present study using a low concentration of MG (10
2
mmol;
g%42.8%) in order to reasonably quantify any observable synergistic increase in
efficiency. Table II illustrates the effect of potassium iodide additions on the cor-
rosion rate of Al in inhibited solutions containing MG as well as on the inhibition
efficiency of MG. The obtained results show that using both MG and KI in hydro-
chloric acid solution decreases the corrosion rate more than either MG or KI alone.
The corrosion rate of Al in HCl is lowest in the solution containing 0.01 mM MG in
combination with 10
5
mM KI, yielding g% value of 89.3%, up from 42.8%, thus
confirming corrosion inhibition synergism due to increased surface coverage arising
from ion pair interaction between the MG cations and the iodide ions.
In an earlier report (Oguzie, 2004), two possible mechanisms were suggested
to account for the adsorption of such ion pairs onto the metal surface. In one mech-
anism, the ion pairs are formed in the bulk solution and then adsorbed from the
solution onto the metal surface as follows:
Inh

sol
I

sol
!I

Inh

sol
10a
I

Inh

sol
!I

Inh

ads
10b
In the second mechanism, the halide ion is first adsorbed on the metal surface and
the inhibitor is then drawn into the double layer by the adsorbed halide ion such that
the ion pair formation occurs directly on the metal surface:
I

sol
!I

ads
11a
I

ads
Inh

sol
!I

Inh

ads
11b
Inh

sol
; I

sol
; and (I

Inh

)
sol
represent the inhibitor, halide ion, and ion pair, respec-
tively in the bulk of the solution, while Inh

ads
; I

ads
; and (I

Inh

)
ads
refer to the same
species in the adsorbed state. Ion pair interactions leading up to inhibitor-halide syn-
ergism have often been attributed to formation of such ion pairs directly on the
metal surface, as in Equation (11) (Shibli and Saji, 2005). Stabilization of the
Table II. Effect of KI on the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency
of MG in 1.0 M HCl
System CR (mg dm
2
h
1
) g%
10
5
mmol KI 169.1 49.6
10
3
mmol KI 138.8 47.3
10
2
mmol MG 183.8 42.8
10
5
mmol KI MG 34.4 89.3
10
3
mmol KI MG 71.1 77.9
Al Corrosion Inhibition by Malachite Green Dye 57
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adsorbed iodide ions by means of electrostatic interactions with the MG cations
leads to greater surface coverage and thereby improved inhibition efficiency.
Other factors could also contribute to the observed synergistic effect. For
instance the chemisorption of I

ions is capable of decreasing the hydrophilicity

of metal surfaces, which is likely to promote adsorption of organic molecules. How-
ever, this effect is much less significant than the surface charge effect. This suggestion
is consistent with the idea that the dominating factor in adsorption layer formation is
the electrostatic interaction between the ions in the inner part of the double layer,
and as such direct adsorption of ion pairs from the bulk of the solution becomes
energetically unfavorable. It is necessary to mention that ion pair formation should
not lead to pronounced chemical changes to the inhibitor or the halide, since the
interactions are purely electrostatic. Chemical transformation of either additive
implies chemical reaction or ion pair formation in solution (Equation (10)), which
as observed in an earlier report, often leads to the formation of new, distinct reaction
products that get adsorbed on the metal surface and usually give rise to antagonistic
effects (Oguzie et al., 2009).
Conclusions
Malachite green dye (MG) was found to be an effective inhibitor of aluminum
corrosion in 1.0 M HCl, particularly at high MG concentrations. Inhibition
efficiency at low concentration was significantly improved on addition of iodide ions
due to a synergistic effect. The inhibitive effect is attributed to adsorption of MG on
the aluminum surface following the Flory-Huggins isotherm. Temperature studies
revealed that MG functioned optimally at low temperatures. This was further corro-
borated by the values of kinetic and activation parameters derived from corrosion
and inhibition processes. Molecular dynamics simulation was used to optimize the
molecular and electronic structures of MG and hence model the adsorption of a sin-
gle MG molecule onto the Al surface. The calculated value of the binding energy
(E
Bind
) between the MG molecule and the Al surface was 78.44 kcal=mol.
Acknowledgment
O. P. Okafor is acknowledged for technical assistance in performing some measure-
ments.
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