Electrochemical and quantum chemical investigation to evaluate corrosion inhibition performance of therapeutic drug

The therapeutic drug Kanamycin (KYN) was applied as a possible green inhibitor for the corrosion mitigation of mild steel (MS) in 0.5 N HCl. Electrochemical techniques, quantum chemical calculations along with kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. Kanamycin showed maximum efficiency of 80 % for the concentration of 1000 ppm in 0.5 M HCl at 303 K. Efficiency of the inhibitor decreased with an increase in temperature. The adsorption of KYN on mild steel was through physisorption and followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Experiment findings were supported by computational studies using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The surface study was performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDS), and “Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) techniques. FT-IR and XRD studies were done to reaffirm the adsorption of inhibitor. These calculations were useful in predicting the mechanistic aspects of corrosion. KYN emerged as an efficient green inhibitor with environmental benefits.