The Egyptian petroleum industries are incurring severe problems with corrosion, particularly corrosion that is induced by sulfidogenic microbial activities in harsh salinity environments despite extensively using biocides and metal corrosion inhibitors. Therefore, in this study, a synthesized cationic gemini surfactant (SCGS) was tested as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-fungal, anti-biofilm (anti-adhesive), and bio-dispersion agent. The SCGS was evaluated as a biocide against environmental sulfidogenic-bacteria and as a corrosion inhibitor for a high salinity cultivated medium. The SCGS displayed wide spectrum antimicrobial activity with minimum bactericidal/fungicidal inhibitory concentrations. The SCGS demonstrated anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm, and bio-dispersion activity. The SCGS exhibited bactericidal activity against environmental sulfidogenic bacteria and the highest corrosion inhibition efficiency of 93.8% at 5 mM. Additionally, the SCGS demonstrated bio-dispersion activity against the environmental sulfidogenic bacteria at 5.49% salinity. In conclusion, this study provides a novel synthesized cationic surfactant with many applications in the oil and gas industry: as broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents, corrosion inhibition for high salinity, biocides for environmentally sulfidogenic bacteria, and as bio-dispersion agents.
Keywords: anti-biofilm; bio-dispersion agent; biocidal activity; cationic gemini surfactant; corrosion inhibitor; mild steel; sulfidogenic bacteria.