Ibuprofen as a corrosion inhibitor for copper in synthetic acid rain solution

It is known that if unused drugs are improperly disposed, they can pollute the environment. Furthermore, researchers are still trying to find an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor. These factors lead to the possible application of unused pharmaceutical compounds as corrosion inhibitors. The feasibility of an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic drug, ibuprofen, was evaluated as a potential copper corrosion inhibitor in synthetic acid rain solution. This investigation was performed by applying electrochemical and weight loss measurements and quantum chemical calculations. The results obtained by these techniques revealed the ability of ibuprofen to protect copper from corrosion. The inhibition efficiency of ibuprofen rises with increase in its concentration and can reach a value of 97.3%. The results of surface analysis of treated coupons by scanning electron microscopy and theoretical calculations are consistent with the experimental results.