Efficiency of a Novel Multifunctional Corrosion Inhibitor Against Biofilms Developed on Carbon Steel

Abstract

In natural environments, populations of microorganisms rapidly colonise surfaces forming biofilms. These sessile communities comprise a variety of species which contribute to biofouling and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), especially on metals. Species heterogeneity in natural systems confers higher tolerance to adverse conditions such as biocide treatment compared with single species laboratory simulations. Effective chemical treatments to combat recalcitrant biofilms are often dangerous to apply; both to operators and the environment, and face international embargoes. Today, there is a drive to exchange current toxic and environmentally hazardous biocides with less harmful compounds. One effective method of achieving this goal is to generate multi-functional compounds capable of tackling corrosion and biofilm formation simultaneously, thus reducing the number of compounds in dosing procedures. In a previous study, a novel corrosion inhibitor demonstrated biocidal effects against three marine isolates during the early stages of biofilm formation. The compound; CTA-4OHcinn, holds great promise as a multi-functional inhibitor, however its effect on complex, multi-species biofilms remains unknown. Here we evaluate CTA-4OHcinn biocidal capacity against multi-species biofilms developed from oilfield samples. Mature biofilms were developed and treated with 10 mM CTA-4OHcinn for 4 h. The effects of the compound were assessed using mean probable number (MPN), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) quantification, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results demonstrate that CTA-4OHcinn significantly reduces the viability of mature biofilms, supporting previous demonstrations on the secondary function of CTA-4OHcinn as a biocide. CLSM results further indicate that CTA-4OHcinn targets the cell membrane resulting in lysis. This finding complements the established corrosion inhibition function of CTA-4OHcinn, indicating the compound is a true multi-functional organic corrosion inhibitor.

Potential of sodium dichromate and sodium silicate to control in vitro growth of Bacillus cereus, a metal corrosion-causing bacterium

“…According to Faiq and Mokhtar (2022), organic biocides were very effective to decrease the rate of the pitting corrosion process. CTA-4OHcinn is an excellent example of an organic biocide with biocidal properties that have been found to significantly inhibit the growth of biofilm formation (Tuck et al 2022).…”

Enhancing Biocide Efficacy: Targeting Extracellular DNA for Marine Biofilm Disruption

“…Continuous nutrient replenishment was achieved using a 5 L reservoir cell connected to a peristaltic pump. The pump was calibrated to replace 30% of the reactor solution in each reactor every 24 h. ASW solution as described elsewhere [24,29] was used for the experiments with the following supplementation: 10 mM Bacto™ casamino acids (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA), 10 mM sodium pyruvate, 10 mM D (+) glucose and 30 mM ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ). Nutrient concentrations were established to allow rapid progression of biofilm development without promoting transition of the population to the planktonic lifestyle.…”

“…Indeed, recent research demonstrates that the CTA-4OHcinn toxicity profile is reduced compared to cetrimonium bromide (CetBr), a common and safe antimicrobial additive in cosmetic products [23]. Established as an effective corrosion inhibitor and biocide [16,19,24], CTA-4OHcinn is a promising candidate for real-world applications.…”

Microbiologically influenced corrosion—more than just microorganisms

“…The effectiveness of these mechanisms, however, depends on the specific system’s conditions and the microorganisms involved. In some cases, they may even become ineffective (Dariva and Galio 2014 , Mand and Enning 2021 ) or act as a source of nutrients for bacterial growth (Edwards and McNeill 2002 , Fang et al 2009 ) Therefore, it is crucial to fill the knowledge gap regarding the mechanisms of action of corrosion inhibitors and bioactive agents, as well as their effects on the development and resistance of biofilms (Bridier et al 2011 , Bas et al 2017 , Kimbell et al 2020 , Tuck et al 2022 ). Despite progress over recent years, knowledge is still scarce and fragmented (Araújo et al 2014 , Huang et al 2020 , Silva et al 2021 , Lima et al 2022 ).…”