Active constituents
of Chinese yam peel (CYPE),
namely, diosgenin (DOG), batatasin-I (BTS-I), batatasin-III (BTS-III),
and yam polysaccharide (Y-PS), were extracted via
an ultrasonic soaking strategy. The synergetic anticorrosion mechanism
among these compounds for copper in artificial seawater (ASW) was
clarified by gravimetric measurements, electrochemical evaluations,
surface analyses, quantum chemical calculations under a dominant solvent
model, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of weight
loss revealed that CYPE strongly inhibited the corrosion of copper
in ASW, and the elevating temperature boosted the anticorrosion efficacy
of CYPE. The inhibition efficiency could attain 96.33% with 900 mg/L
CYPE in ASW at 298 K due to effective adsorption. CYPE simultaneously
suppressed the anodic and cathodic reactions for copper in ASW, which
could be categorized as the mixed-type corrosion inhibitor with the
predominant anodic effect. Similar electrochemical kinetics was evidenced
by electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM). Electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy (EIS) indicated that CYPE prominently increased the charge-transfer
resistance at the copper/electrolyte interface without altering the
corrosion mechanism. Extending the immersion time was also conducive
for CYPE to further minimize the corrosion of copper in ASW, which
was demonstrated by the time-course polarization, EIS, and EFM tests.
Owing to the adsorption of CYPE, the copper surface was well-protected
and showed reduced wettability and limited variation of roughness.
From the outcomes of quantum chemical calculations, global and local
reactive descriptors of DOG implied the cross-linked deposition of
actually formed dioscin on the copper surface; otherwise, those of
BTS-I/-III showed the propensity for parallel adsorption, which could
chemically anchor on the voids uncovered by dioscin and thereby synergistically
inhibit the corrosion process. The adsorption orientations of DOG,
BTS-I, and BTS-III were also consolidated by MD simulations. The findings
of this study might be beneficial to inspire the development of eco-friendly
corrosion inhibitors from plant wastes for copper in marine environments.