Synthesis of Ce, N co–doped carbon dots as green and effective corrosion inhibitor for copper in acid environment

Abstract

Background: A new high-effectively corrosion inhibitor was used to replace the traditional corrosion inhibitor and reduce the environment pollution.Methods: Through hydrothermal synthesis, Ce and N co-doped carbon dots (Ce@N-CDs) were generated. Before the performance characterization, the microstructure and chemical composition of Ce@N-CDs were firstly investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The electrochemical test revealed that the IE of Ce-10% (200 mg/L) on copper was as high as 98%, presenting the best inhibition effect. According to the adsorption isotherm analysis, the Ce@N-CDs mainly adsorbed according to the Langmuir model, and the adsorption process was completed by combining physical and chemical adsorption.Significant findings: Through the morphology, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and XPS analysis of copper surface after corrosion process, it was found that the Ce@N-CDs formed a dense adsorption/passivation film on the copper surface. The adsorption film mainly came from the pairing of unsaturated bonds between N-doped CDs (N-CDs) and copper surface. The passivation film mainly came from the oxide formed by the reaction between Ce and the surrounding environment. Their dense structure could effectively inhibit the infiltration and erosion of corrosive medium.