Generally, single organic or inorganic
inhibitors could effectively
inhibit corrosion for metallic materials; however, there are rarely
reports about the hybrid corrosion inhibitors consisting of organic
and inorganic inhibitors. Thus, in this work, we synthesize a hybrid
environment-friendly water-soluble corrosion inhibitor (Sb quantum
dots) containing Sb, Sb2O3, Sb2O4, and carbon using the electrochemical exfoliation method.
The inhibition effectiveness in short- and long-term immersion tests
is measured using electrochemical methods, weight loss, and surface
analysis. The results exhibit that the corrosion inhibition efficiency
sensitively relates to the concentration of Sb quantum dots (SQDs),
which achieves the largest value as the concentration of SQDs increases
to 200 mg/L. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy,
and contact angle analysis reveal that the SQDs well-disperse on and
cover the Q235 steel surface at 200 mg/L. According to the Langmuir
adsorption data, the physicochemical adsorption and effective antioxidation
of SQDs on the passivated Q235 steel surface are in charge of the
effective corrosion inhibition efficiency in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution.