Salen-type additives as corrosion mitigator for Ni-W alloys: Detailed
electronic/ atomic-scale computational illustration
Abstract
It is imperative to study the long term corrosion problems of nickel
alloys in acidic medium due to breakdown of their passitive oxide. Focus
of this work is to enhance the knowledge of adsorption of organic
additives (OPD & PPD) onto the Ni-W alloy surface. Deducing the
scenario of competitive adsorption of salen-type symmetrical Schiff
bases (OPD, and PPD) as additive molecules on Ni-W alloy surface at
molecular level was studied by Density Functional Theory (DFT), Monte
Carlo simulation (MC), Molecular Dynamics simulation (MD) and Radial
Distribution Function (RDF) analysis. Obtained intrinsic molecular
parmaters from DFT shows a strong conformity to the corrosion
effeciencies of experimental results. Higher polarization value of
650.707 a.u (PPD) explicates its electron donating ability onto the
alloy surface. Higher binding energy (Ebinding=1132.241 kJ/mol) and
spatial orientation of PPD molecule portrays the closest contacts
between active atoms and alloy surface. Significant findings from DFT
global descriptors, MC, MD and RDF analysis ratifies the corrosion
effeciencies (PPD>OPD) of experimental outcomes, which
correlates positively with the larger isomeric spacer. Overall, the
present study, reports offers the corrosion inhibition resistance impact
of OPD & PPD additives, revealing the fact of PPD as effective one and
OPD as moderate ones for Ni-W alloys.