Synthesis and evaluation of bipyrazolic derivatives as inhibitors of corrosion of C38 steel in molar hydrochloric acid

Methyl 2-(bis((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)amino) acetate, BT36, and methyl 2-(bis((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)amino)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoate, BT 43, have been synthesized. Investigation by weight-loss measurement and use of electrochemical techniques revealed the compounds are very effective inhibitors of corrosion of C38 steel in 1 M HCl solutions—percentage protection exceeded 95 % for BT43 at concentrations as low as 10−2 M. An impedance study in the absence and presence of these compounds revealed the mechanism of protection was cathodic inhibition by polarization and charge-transfer. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was obeyed. Quantum chemical data calculated by use of DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory revealed a good correlation between inhibition efficiency and the molecular structure of BT36 and BT43. The highest occupied molecular orbital, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, the separation energy (ΔE), and the dipole moment (μ) from the inhibitor to the metal surface explain the experimental data well.