A purine derivative for the modulation of the corrosion behavior of nickel aluminum bronze in seawater: A comprehensive and in-depth investigation on the corrosion inhibition mechanism

6-mercaptopurine (SMP), recognized for its biological activity, is investigated for its corrosion inhibition mechanism on nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB) in seawater, demonstrating a high efficiency of 99.6 %. The physical adsorption of SMP on the NAB surface contributes to the multilayer structural arrangement of SMP. The Cu+-SMP complex is generated on the surface of NAB, which possesses a corrosion protection effect. SMP alters the semiconductor properties of corrosion product layer and reduces the carrier concentration. SMP can adsorb better on uncorroded NAB surfaces. This study holds significant importance in unraveling the mechanisms behind the corrosion behavior of NAB surfaces regulated by SMP.