Melamine–isatin tris Schiff base as an efficient corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 0.5 molar hydrochloric acid solution: weight loss, electrochemical and surface studies

In the current study, 3,3′,3′′-((1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tris(azaneylylidene))tris(indolin-2-one) (MISB), which is the condensation product of melamine (triazine) and isatin, was investigated as a mild steel corrosion inhibitor in 0.5 M HCl. The ability of the synthesized tris-Schiff base to suppress corrosion was evaluated utilizing weight loss measurements, electrochemical techniques and theoretical computation. The maximum inhibition efficiency of 92.07%, 91.51% and 91.60% was achieved using 34.20 × 10(−3) mM of MISB in weight loss measurements, polarization, and EIS tests, respectively. It was revealed that an increase in temperature decreased the inhibition performance of MISB, whereas an increase in the concentration of MISB increased it. The analysis demonstrated that the synthesized tris-Schiff base inhibitor followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and was an effective mixed-type inhibitor, but it exhibited dominant cathodic behavior. According to the electrochemical impedance measurements, the R(ct) values increased with an increase in the inhibitor concentration. The weight loss and electrochemical assessments were also supported by quantum calculations and surface characterization analysis, and the SEM images showed a smooth surface morphology.