Inhibition efficiencies of three amino acids [tryptophan (B), tyrosine (c), and serine (A)] have been studied as green corrosion inhibitors on corrosion of carbon steel using density functional theory (DFT) method in gas and aqueous phases. Quantum chemical parameters such as EH OMO (highest occupied molecular orbital energy), E LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy), hardness (η), polarizability ([Formula: see text]), total negative charges on atoms (TNC), molecular volume (MV) and total energy (TE) have been calculated at the B3LYP level of theory with 6-311++G** basis set. Consistent with experimental data, theoretical results showed that the order of inhibition efficiency is tryptophan (B) > tyrosine (C) > serine (A). In order to determine the possible sites of nucleophilic and electrophilic attacks, local reactivity has been evaluated through Fukui indices.
Keywords: Amino acid; Corrosion; DFT; Inhibitory efficiency; Steel.