Structure, dynamics and transport behavior of migrating corrosion inhibitors on the surface of calcium silicate...

The incorporation of a corrosion inhibitor into a cement-based material can enhance the durability of the reinforced concrete. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation is utilized to study the interfacial structure and dynamic behavior of a solution with three migrating corrosion inhibitors (MCI) functionalized by hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COO^-), and phenyl (-PH) groups in calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gel pores. The transport rate of inhibitors is greatly dependent on the polarity of the functional group: -PH > -OH > -COO^-. The slow migration rate of the inhibitor with -OH and -COO^- is attributed to the chemical bond formed between CSH and MCI. The silicate chains near the CSH surface can provide plenty of non-bridging oxygen sites to accept the H-bond from the hydroxyl group in the inhibitor molecule. The surface calcium atom can capture the -COO^- by forming an ionic COO-Ca bond. Furthermore, the hydration structure of the inhibitor molecule also influences its transport properties. The inhibitor functionalized by the carboxyl group, associating with the neighboring water molecules, forms ion-water clusters, and the inhibitor molecule and its hydration shell with a long resident time retard the migration rate. Hopefully, this study is able to provide molecules for the development of a migration-type corrosion inhibitor to elongate the service life of cement-based materials.