The inhibitory action of three imine-chalcones on carbon steel corrosion in HCl was investigated by theoretical and experimental methods. Quantum descriptors were calculated at the conductor-like polarizable continuum model (CPCM)-Becke-3 Parameter-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP)-D3/def2-TZVPP level allowing the prediction of efficiency inhibition ranking. Electrochemical techniques and mass loss experiments were employed to determine inhibition efficiencies and related experimental parameters. Scanning electron microscopy was employed for metal surface analysis. The N-[(1Z,2E)-1,3-diphenylprop-2-in-1-ylidene]-1-phenethylamine (IM-F) was pointed out as the most efficient inhibitor in this group, with 96% of corrosion inhibition. Moreover, theoretical results obtained from periodic calculations for the adsorption on the Fe(110) surface corroborated the highest efficacy of IM-F.

Structure and first hyperpolarizability for a series of armchair a(5,5) chemically modified carbon nanotubes (CNT) were calculated at semiempirical and density functional levels of theory. The 4,4´-substituted stilbenes were selected as chromophore with substituents at position 4´ set to X=NO2, H, Cl, OH and NH2. The calculated values for static first hyperpolarizability (β) were almost linearly dependent on the electronic effect of the group X, increasing from NO2 to NH2. At DFT level the effect of inserting the chromophore in the CNT surface was to enhance the β value up to 70% relative to the free 4,4´-substituted stilbene.