The use of amino acids as corrosion inhibitors for metals: A review

The aim of this review is to present and discuss the research work reported in the literature on the use of glutamic acid and its derivatives as corrosion inhibitors for metals in different aggressive solutions. Mass loss and electrochemical techniques were among the most often used techniques to evaluate the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the used inhibitor. Glutamic acid can act as an efficient corrosion inhibitor, but it can in other cases show an opposite effect, which accelerates the corrosion process; all depend on the experimental conditions. Highest values of inhibition efficiency were obtained in the presence of ions as Zn 2+ and ions halides. Glutamic acid derivatives have shown a good ability to use it as an effective corrosion inhibitor for metal in an acidic solution. The development of computational modeling helps to design new glutamic acid derivatives and to understand the inhibition mechanism of those compounds.