Corrosion study of copper in aqueous sulfuric acid solution in the presence of (2E,5E)-2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone and (2E,5E)-bis[(4-dimethylamino)benzylidene]cyclopentanone: Experimental and theoretical study

The corrosion behavior of copper in 0.1 M aqueous sulfuric acid medium has been studied using potentiodynamic polarization measurements, quantum chemical calculations, and molecular dynamic simulations in the presence and absence of (2E,5E)-2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone (M1) and (2E,5E)-bis[(4-dimethylamino)benzylidene]cyclopentanone (M2). The compounds were freshly prepared in high yields via the Claisen–Schmidt reaction between the cyclopentanone and the corresponding aryl aldehyde. The results from the potentiodynamic measurements imply that M1 and M2 act as mixed inhibitors due to their adsorption on the copper surface. The more pronounced corrosion inhibition performance of the M2 molecule in comparison to M1 was related to the fact that this molecule contains two basic nitrogen atoms (in 4-dimethylamino group).