Applicability of Drugs as Sustainable Corrosion Inhibitors

This review highlights the overview of recent trends in the usage of drugs as corrosion inhibitor for metal/alloy surfaces, particularly mild steel, aluminum, and copper in acidic, basic, or saline medium. The drug molecules generally containing atom having lone pair of electrons such as nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), Sulphur (S) and phosphorus (P) as well as a hydrophobic moiety that will repel aqueous corrosive species away from the metal surface and a mediately with an aromatic ring, unsaturation that are observed to be a significant component of extremely efficient inhibitors. The efficacy of various drugs, including antipyretics, analgesics, antibiotics, anti-depressants, and anti-histamines, is studied using weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and surface analysis techniques. Drugs molecules work by producing a layer on the metal's surface and can serve as anodic, cathodic, or mixed inhibitors. This protective film formed results of strong interactions such as free- orbital adsorption, chemisorption, and electrostatic adsorption, which prevent corrosive species from attacking the metal surface. Recent concerns and future prospective for further research and development to achieve more efficient and environmentally friendly inhibitors are additionally highlighted.