Inhibition Performance of Surface-Modified Carbon Dots for Mild Steel in 0.5 M H2SO4

Mild steel is prone to corrosion due to environmental factors like humidity, O2, salt, pH, and pollutants. Corrosion inhibitors offer a practical solution to this problem. This study involved synthesising protein-based carbon dots from waste oyster meat via a hydrothermal reaction. These CDs were subsequently modified with stearic acid to enhance their hydrophobicity. Unmodified and modified CDs were tested for their corrosion inhibition properties using weight loss and electrochemical measurements in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4. The findings showed that the modified CDs achieved a corrosion inhibition efficiency of up to 93.19% at 100 mg/L. This improvement is attributed to the enhanced hydrophobicity of the modified CDs, which enables them to form a more effective protective film. The research emphasises the potential of modified CDs as a promising approach for the high-value utilisation of waste resources and the development of corrosion inhibitors from biomass sources.