Effects of Surface Functional Groups of Nanomaterials on Corrosion Inhibition Performance and Mechanisms

HE Chuang; NIE Yuheng; ZHENG Qiqi; HU Jiaji; LI Xingqiang; HE Haijie; YU Jing; YE Xiaowei

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.12.009

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (12) : 126-140. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.12.009

Corrosion and Protection

Effects of Surface Functional Groups of Nanomaterials on Corrosion Inhibition Performance and Mechanisms

HE Chuang¹, NIE Yuheng¹, ZHENG Qiqi¹, HU Jiaji¹, LI Xingqiang¹, HE Haijie^1,2, YU Jing^1*, YE Xiaowei^2*

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Abstract

Surface functional groups are one of the key factors determining the corrosion inhibition performance of nanomaterials. However, the effects and mechanisms of different functional groups remain unclear. This is mainly because it is difficult to modify the surface groups of nanomaterials while keeping other structural parameters such as particle size and crystallinity constant, thus making it impossible to isolate the single-variable effect of surface functional groups. To address this issue, carbon dots (CDs), which are easily surface-modifiable, are used as a model system in this work. A post-modification strategy is employed to prepare three types of CDs with nearly identical particle size and carbon core structure but distinctly different surface functional groups: carboxyl-rich (OCDs), thiol-rich (SCDs), and amino-rich (NCDs). Transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy collectively confirm that the three types of CDs are essentially identical in particle size and carbon core structure, including lattice spacing and graphitization degree, while their surface functional groups are significantly different, being rich in —COOH, —NH₂, and —SH, respectively. In addition, qualitative observation combined with quantitative spectroscopic data demonstrates that regardless of which type of surface groups the as-prepared CDs are rich in, they all possess excellent long-term dispersion stability in HCl corrosive medium and are therefore suitable as corrosion inhibitors for acidic solutions. Weight loss measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) are systematically used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition performance of the three types of CDs on Q235 carbon steel in 1 mol/L HCl solution at a concentration of 100 mg/L. All test data show highly consistent trends, collectively confirming a core conclusion: under the condition that particle size, carbon core structure and other parameters are kept essentially constant, the corrosion inhibition performance of CDs significantly depends on their surface functional groups, with the inhibition efficiency following the order of NCDs > SCDs > OCDs. The inhibition efficiencies calculated from PDP are as follows: NCDs are the highest at 91.2%, followed by SCDs at 86.6%, and OCDs are the lowest at 79.0%. By comprehensively employing electrochemical tests, microscopic morphology analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations, the mechanism by which different surface functional groups affect the inhibition performance is revealed at multiple scales. Specifically, CDs exert a protective effect by forming an adsorbed film and inducing the formation of an oxide film. Among them, NCDs exhibit stable parallel adsorption and the strongest binding energy, thereby forming the most compact protective film and promoting the generation of a dense oxide film, resulting in the best inhibition efficiency. SCDs also adopt parallel adsorption but with slightly weaker adsorption and film-forming ability. In contrast, OCDs cannot achieve parallel adsorption and have the lowest binding energy, forming the least compact adsorbed film and the least dense induced oxide film, thus giving the poorest protection. This work not only provides evidence for clarifying the relationship between the surface functional groups of CDs and their corrosion inhibition performance, but also offers a theoretical basis for the design and development of high-performance, tailor-made nanoscale corrosion inhibitors based on surface functional groups.

Key words

surface functional groups / carbon dots / corrosion inhibition performance / mechanism / carbon steel

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HE Chuang, NIE Yuheng, ZHENG Qiqi, HU Jiaji, LI Xingqiang, HE Haijie, YU Jing, YE Xiaowei. Effects of Surface Functional Groups of Nanomaterials on Corrosion Inhibition Performance and Mechanisms[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(12): 126-140

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Funding

The Pioneer and Leading Goose R&D Program of Zhejiang (2026C02A1052); The Joint Fund of Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LGEZ26E090004); Taizhou Science and Technology Plan Project (25gya13); The National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (52525804)