The inhibition performance of novel amino acid-based amphiprotic surfactants on aluminum alloys in sodium chloride solutions: Experimental and theoretical studies

The inhibition performance of three amino acid-based amphoteric surfactants disodium-N-alkyliminodiacetate was investigated by the weight-loss and electrochemical methods. XPS and AFM were also utilized to study the alloy of microscopic variation. Meanwhile, the anti-corrosion performance and mechanism were verified by quantum chemical calculation and molecular dynamics simulation. It found that the inhibition efficiency increased with the surfactant concentration, which peaked above 90% at the critical micelle concentration and decreased at higher concentrations due to the micelle formation. The inhibition efficiency of surfactants with longer carbon chains increased due to the thicker and more hydrophobic adsorption layer formed on alloy surface.