Electrochemical and Quantum Chemical Studies of 1, 2, 3-Benzotriazole as Inhibitor for Copper and Steel in Simulated Tap Water

The corrosion inhibition effect of benzotriazole on copper and steel in simulated tap water was investigated by using potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and a quantum chemistry analysis. The corrosion inhibition efficiency for copper and steel was accordingly increased with an increasing of the benzotriazole concentrations. However, the electrochemical test showed a significant difference between the inhibition efficiency of copper and steel. From molecular theory and the adsorption isotherm, the difference between the 3-orbital structure of copper and steel affects the adsorption stability of benzotriazole on the metal surface. This postulation is well correlated with the results of the quantum chemical analysis.