Schiff bases of increasing complexity as mild steel corrosion inhibitors in 2 M HCl

The effect of three Schiff base compounds with increasing number of coordination sites, namely, 2-{(E)-[(2-hydroxyethyl)imino]methyl} phenol (I), 2-[(E)-({2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl}imino)methyl]phenol (II) and 2,2′-{iminobis[ethane-2,1-diylnitrilo(E)methylylidene]}diphenol (III) have been investigated at 298 K by weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The inhibition efficiencies obtained from all methods employed are in good agreement. Results show compound III to be the best inhibitor with a mean efficiency of 93% at 10−2 M additive concentration. Studies showed all three compounds to act as mixed type inhibitors.