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The Inhibitory Effect and Adsorption Properties of Testagen Peptide on Copper Surfaces in Saline Environments: An Experimental and Computational Study
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This experimental and computational study (not involving a biological species) examined the tetrapeptide testagen (KEDG, H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH) as a corrosion inhibitor for copper surfaces in sodium chloride solution. It reports an inhibition efficiency of around 86% from electrochemical measurements, that adsorption data best fit the Freundlich isotherm, and a standard free energy of adsorption (ΔGadso) of -30.86 kJ mol-1, indicating mixed chemical and physical adsorption. Optical microscopy and SEM/EDS showed a network surface morphology with microdeposits after corrosion with KEDG present, with EDS showing a surface layer of KEDG, sodium chloride, and copper corrosion compounds; DFT and Monte Carlo simulations were reported to support spontaneous adsorption via electrostatic, van der Waals, and covalent interactions.
Abstract
Experimental and theoretical studies were applied to investigate the adsorption properties of testagen (KEDG) peptide on copper surfaces in sodium chloride solution and, implicitly, its inhibition efficiency (IE) on metal corrosion. The tetrapeptide synthesized from the amino acids lysine (Lys), glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), and glycine (Gly), named as H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH, achieved an inhibition efficiency of around 86% calculated from electrochemical measurements, making KEDG a promising new copper corrosion inhibitor. The experimental data were best fitted to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The standard free energy of adsorption (ΔGadso) reached the value of -30.86 kJ mol-1, which revealed a mixed action mechanism of tetrapeptide, namely, chemical and physical spontaneous adsorption. The copper surface characterization was performed using optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analysis. In the KEDG presence, post-corrosion, SEM images showed a network surface morphology including microdeposits with an acicular appearance, and EDS analysis highlighted an upper surface layer consisting of KEDG, sodium chloride, and copper corrosion compounds. The computational study based on DFT and Monte Carlo simulation confirmed the experimental results and concluded that the spontaneous adsorption equilibrium establishment was the consequence of the contribution of noncovalent (electrostatic, van der Waals) interactions and covalent bonds.
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