Adsorption and Inhibition Mechanisms of New Pyrazole Derivatives for Carbon Steel Corrosion in Hydrochloric Acid Solutions Based on Experimental, Computational, and Theoretical Calculations

The study aims to synthesize two green pyrazole compounds, N-((1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)-4-nitroaniline (L4) and ethyl 5-methyl-1-(((4-nitrophenyl)amino)methyl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate (L6), and test their action as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel (CS) in a 1 M HCl solution. Both chemical and electrochemical methods, namely, gravimetric measurements (WL), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), were used to assess the efficiency of the investigated molecules. DFT calculations at B3LYP/6-31++G (d, p) and molecular dynamics simulation were used to carry out quantum chemical calculations in order to link their electronic characteristics with the findings of experiments. The organic products exhibited good anticorrosion ability, with maximum inhibition efficiencies (IE %) of 91.8 and 90.8% for 10–3 M L6 and L4, respectively. In accordance with PDP outcomes, L6 and L4 inhibitors act as mixed-type inhibitors. Assessment of the temperature influence evinces that both L4 and L6 are chemisorbed on CS. The adsorption of L4 and L6 on CS appears to follow the Langmuir isotherm. Scanning electron microscopy and UV–visible disclose the constitution of a barrier layer, limiting the accessibility of corrosive species to the CS surface. Theoretical studies were performed to support the results derived from experimental techniques (WL, PDP, and EIS).