Carbon Dots for Anti-corrosion: A Review Describing in Detail the Application and Mechanism of Corrosion Inhibitors

Abstract: Corrosion is a spontaneous and unavoidable process that reduces the service life of materials. Most industries suffer from corrosion of manufacturing equipment. To effectively protect metals from corrosion, various strategies have been developed. Among these, the use of corrosion inhibitors is a widely adopted technique. Many commercial inorganic and organic substances have been proven to be effective inhibitors. However, most of them are toxic and pose environmental threats during their synthesis. In recent years, Carbon Dots (CDs) have gained widespread application as a green aqueous-phase corrosion inhibitor due to their eco-friendly properties and good water solubility. This article provides a comprehensive review on the research progress on CDs, systematically exploring the use of heteroatom-doped CDs as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel, copper, and their alloys. The discussion includes synthesis methods, various morphologies and structures of CDs, corrosion resistance performance, kinetics, thermodynamics, quantum computational chemistry, and inhibition mechanisms. Additionally, the challenges, recommendations, and opportunities in this field are addressed. Through this review, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the potential of CDs as corrosion inhibitors, inspiring more scientists to make valuable contributions to this topic in the future.