corrosim — multiscale corrosion-inhibitor report

Substrate Cu(111)  |  Medium 1 M HCl  |  DFT level B3LYP/def2-SVP (ddCOSMO:water)  |  Generated 2026-07-18 19:37

The molecules modelled here are screened in silico as representative candidates, not a verified analysis of any real sample. Confirm the actual composition experimentally (e.g. by LC-MS/GC-MS) before drawing firm conclusions.

1. Overview

corrosim pipeline

2. Summary & ranking

Of the 5 molecules screened, pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy ranks highest on the composite electronic score (+1.66), which averages three independent axes — a small HOMO–LUMO gap (5.46 eV), the Lukovits ΔN and the molecular dipole — the strongest all-round electron-donating profile of the set. It adsorbs flat on Cu in the physisorption regime (E_ads ≈ -9 kJ/mol). The lead holds across all 2 descriptor bases evaluated (geometry and protonation). This is a computational screening prediction requiring electrochemical confirmation (see the Method section and caveats).

Pyrazolylnucleoside methoxyPyrazolylnucleoside methylPyrazolylnucleoside bromoPyrazolylnucleoside fluoroPyrazolylnucleoside chloro
Gap (eV)5.457 5.6555.7686.0475.851
ΔN0.2170.150.1690.1740.17
Dipole (D)9.5317.8065.5267.2845.582
E_ads (kJ/mol)-9.13-7.66-10.52 -9.23-9.15
Cu–O (Å)3.353.353.253.653.35
Score1.658 -0.067-0.489-0.497-0.606
Ranking basisTop candidate
force-field geometry, neutralPyrazolylnucleoside methoxy
force-field geometry, pH-weightedPyrazolylnucleoside methoxy

Lead robust: the same candidate tops all 2 descriptor bases (geometry and protonation).

Scored on three independent axes of the canonical basis (force-field geometry, pH-weighted; z-scored; higher = stronger): the HOMO–LUMO gap, the Lukovits ΔN (electron donation to the metal) and the dipole (a weak tie-breaker — its direction vs efficiency is disputed). The geometry / protonation panels below are a sensitivity check, not separate rankings. E_ads and the Cu–O distance validate the lead, they do not enter the score. Full method: docs/pipeline.md.

3. DFT electronic descriptors

Modelled molecules
Frontier-orbital energies vs the metal work function

3.1 Frontier-orbital isosurfaces (HOMO / LUMO)

pyrazolylnucleoside methyl HOMO
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy HOMO
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro HOMO
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro HOMO
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo HOMO
pyrazolylnucleoside methyl LUMO
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy LUMO
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro LUMO
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro LUMO
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo LUMO
Reactivity descriptors
Protonation effect (DFT-optimised cations)

3.2 Full descriptor table (neutral, aqueous)

DescriptorPyrazolylnucleoside methylPyrazolylnucleoside methoxyPyrazolylnucleoside fluoroPyrazolylnucleoside chloroPyrazolylnucleoside bromo
FormulaC17H19N3O3C17H19N3O4C16H16FN3O3C16H16ClN3O3C16H16BrN3O3
HOMO (eV)-6.709-6.331-6.626-6.6-6.638
LUMO (eV)-0.538-0.696-0.889-1.072-1.097
Gap ΔE (eV)6.1715.6355.7385.5285.541
η hardness (eV)3.0852.8182.8692.7642.771
σ softness (1/eV)0.3240.3550.3490.3620.361
χ electronegativity (eV)3.6243.5133.7583.8363.867
ω electrophilicity (eV)2.1282.192.4612.6622.699
ΔN0.2130.2530.2060.20.194
E_back-donation (eV)-0.771-0.704-0.717-0.691-0.693
Dipole (D)7.8069.5317.2845.5825.526
TNC-2.125-2.477-2.262-2.065-2.031
E_ads (kJ/mol)-7.66-9.13-9.23-9.15-10.52

3.3 Species in the acidic medium (protonated cation)

DescriptorPyrazolylnucleoside methyl+H+Pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy+H+Pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro+H+Pyrazolylnucleoside chloro+H+Pyrazolylnucleoside bromo+H+
FormulaC17H20N3O3+C17H20N3O4+C16H17FN3O3+C16H17ClN3O3+C16H17BrN3O3+
HOMO (eV)-6.918-6.483-6.914-6.874-6.851
LUMO (eV)-1.265-1.026-0.866-1.022-1.082
Gap ΔE (eV)5.6535.4566.0485.8525.769
η hardness (eV)2.8272.7283.0242.9262.884
σ softness (1/eV)0.3540.3670.3310.3420.347
χ electronegativity (eV)4.0923.7553.893.9483.967
ω electrophilicity (eV)2.9612.5842.5022.6632.727
ΔN0.150.2170.1740.170.169
E_back-donation (eV)-0.707-0.682-0.756-0.732-0.721
Dipole (D)
TNC-1.797-2.142-1.985-1.767-1.722

Protonated +1 cation descriptors in 1 M HCl; a component of the pH-weighted canonical basis (see the Summary), shown here on its own.

3.4 Speciation in 1 M HCl (pH ≈ -0.0)

0% neutral / 100% protonated at this pH — the protonated form dominates. Population-weighted descriptors (the speciation axis of the ranking ensemble; the headline ranks on the canonical basis):

DescriptorPyrazolylnucleoside methylPyrazolylnucleoside methoxyPyrazolylnucleoside fluoroPyrazolylnucleoside chloroPyrazolylnucleoside bromo
FormulaC17H19N3O3C17H19N3O4C16H16FN3O3C16H16ClN3O3C16H16BrN3O3
HOMO (eV)-6.918-6.482-6.913-6.873-6.85
LUMO (eV)-1.263-1.025-0.866-1.022-1.082
Gap ΔE (eV)5.6555.4576.0475.8515.768
η hardness (eV)2.8272.7283.0232.9262.884
σ softness (1/eV)0.3540.3660.3310.3420.347
χ electronegativity (eV)4.093.7543.8893.9483.966
ω electrophilicity (eV)2.9592.5822.5022.6632.727
ΔN0.150.2170.1740.170.169
E_back-donation (eV)-0.707-0.682-0.756-0.731-0.721
Dipole (D)7.8069.5317.2845.5825.526
TNC-1.798-2.144-1.986-1.768-1.723

3.5 Local reactivity (Fukui)

Strongest electron-donating oxygens (highest f⁻) per molecule:

pyrazolylnucleoside methyl — condensed Fukui
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy — condensed Fukui
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro — condensed Fukui
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro — condensed Fukui
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo — condensed Fukui

3.6 Electrostatic-potential (ESP) map

pyrazolylnucleoside methyl — ESP map
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy — ESP map
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro — ESP map
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro — ESP map
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo — ESP map

4. Monte Carlo adsorption

pyrazolylnucleoside methyl — best pose
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy — best pose
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro — best pose
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro — best pose
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo — best pose
pyrazolylnucleoside methyl — MC annealing
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy — MC annealing
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro — MC annealing
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro — MC annealing
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo — MC annealing

5. Brownian MD — Cu–donor RDF

pyrazolylnucleoside methyl — Cu–donor RDF
pyrazolylnucleoside methoxy — Cu–donor RDF
pyrazolylnucleoside fluoro — Cu–donor RDF
pyrazolylnucleoside chloro — Cu–donor RDF
pyrazolylnucleoside bromo — Cu–donor RDF

6. Method & caveats

DFT level: B3LYP/def2-SVP (ddCOSMO:water). Global descriptors come from the frontier-orbital energies via Koopmans' theorem; ΔN uses the metal work function with η(metal) = 0. The Monte-Carlo and Brownian-MD stages use a classical van-der-Waals adsorption model — a physics-based screening surrogate, not a substitute for periodic DFT or for electrochemical validation. The composite ranking is a heuristic that orders candidates; it does not prove inhibition. Full methodology: docs/pipeline.md; validation record: docs/validation.md.