Atomistic Analysis of Sulphonamides as a Microbial Influenced Corrosion (MIC) Inhibitor

Four sulfonamide-type microbial inhibitors were studied using density functional theory (DFT) to assess their effectiveness in controlling microbial corrosion. The experimental techniques (FTIR, SEM, EIS, EFM, and AFM) are beneficial for measuring properties such as chemical composition, bond formation, electrochemical behavior, and surface topography; however, DFT can be useful as a new method for understanding microbial corrosion. Sulfacetamide (SFC), sulfamerazine (SFM), sulfapyridine (SFP), and sulfathiazole (SFT) uniformly adsorb onto the iron surface and block the active site, reducing the corrosion rate. To study the effect on microbial activity, a 0.6 eV electric field was applied. The absolute increase in the interaction energy indicates that sulfonamides are effective microbial inhibitors. Electronic SFC, SFM, SFP, and SFT descriptors agree with the experimental inhibition efficiency. The shift of the density of state (DOS) toward a low energy level for sulfonamides indicates the stabilization of these molecules at the Fe (100) surface. The population analysis combined with atomic and molecular parameters further explains the anticorrosive mechanism of sulphonamides.