Synthesis of Schiff-base cationic Gemini surfactant and the properties for inhibiting corrosion of Q235 carbon steel and printed circuit board

Surfactants play an important role in the domain of metal anticorrosion. Gemini surfactants, as corrosion inhibitors, have the advantages of strong practicality, high safety, convenient operation and fast response. In this study, a new Schiff-base cationic Gemini surfactant (named TMPA) was designed, synthesized and characterized. The mechanism of metal anticorrosion of surfactant was studied by electrochemistry and static weightlessness method. And the adsorption isotherm of TMPA shows that the behavior follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The anticorrosion efficiency of printed circuit board (PCB) was 92.88% and Q235 carbon steel (Q235 CS) was 97.78% with the addition of only 5 mM TMPA. The surface appearance of the PCB and Q235 CS was scrutinized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, proving that samples have few corrosion marks in the presence of TMPA and oxidants. These results show that TMPA provides an attractive application in terms of metal corrosion inhibition.