Synthesis, characterisation and corrosion inhibition assessment of a novel ionic liquid-graphene oxide nanohybrid

A novel ionic liquid, L-proline nitrate and graphene oxide nanohybrid (IL-GO), was synthesized and characterised by FTIR, UV-–Vis,1H NMR,13C NMR and HR-TEM. The corrosion inhibition potency of IL-GO nanohybrid for mild steel in 1 M HCl was examined by gravimetric measurements, electrochemical methods supplemented with SEM-EDS, XPS, contact angle measurement, and FTIR. The experimental results supported that IL-GO endowed fairly good corrosion inhibition response in the temperature range 303–353 K. Inhibition efficiency raised with inhibitor concentration, reaching 86.5% at 250 ppm and falling above 333 K. Adsorption of IL-GO over mild steel surface suited well with Langmuir model involving both chemisorption and physisorption interactions. Electrochemical results demonstrated that IL-GO remarkably resisted charge transfer process across the mild steel–solution interface and functioned as mixed-type inhibitor. SEM-EDS and XPS studies verified the adsorption of IL-GO nanohybrid and fabrication of a physical barrier film at the metal surface.