Copper (Cu) corrosion is a compelling problem in the
automotive
sector and in oil refinery and transport, where it is mainly caused
by the action of acidic aqueous droplets dispersed in an oil phase.
Corrosion inhibitors, such as benzotriazole (BTAH) and its derivatives,
are widely used to limit such corrosion processes. The efficacy of
corrosion inhibitors is expected to be dependent on the surface crystallography
of metals exposed to the corrosion environment. Yet, studies of the
effect of additives at the local level of the surface crystallographic
structure of polycrystalline metals are challenging, particularly
lacking for the triple-phase corrosion problem (metal/aqueous/oil).
To address this issue, scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM),
is used in an acidic nanodroplet meniscus|oil layer|polycrystalline
Cu configuration to explore the grain-dependent influence of an oil
soluble BTAH derivative (BTA-R) on Cu electrochemistry within the
confines of a local aqueous nanoprobe. Electrochemical maps, collected
in the voltammetric mode at an array of >1000 points across the
Cu
surface, reveal both cathodic (mainly the oxygen reduction reaction)
and anodic (Cu electrooxidation) processes, of relevance to corrosion,
as a function of the local crystallographic structure, deduced with
co-located electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). BTA-R is active
on the whole spectrum of crystallographic orientations analyzed, but
there is a complex grain-dependent action, distinct for oxygen reduction
and Cu oxidation. The methodology pinpoints the surface structural
motifs that facilitate corrosion-related processes and where BTA-R
works most efficiently. Combined SECCM–EBSD provides a detailed
screen of a spectrum of surface sites, and the results should inform
future modeling studies, ultimately contributing to a better inhibitor
design.