Bifunctional eco-friendly tobacco stem extract with antibacterial and corrosion inhibition properties for mitigating microbiologically influenced corrosion

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2025.09.011

Abstract

Abstract: Tobacco stem extract (TSE), derived from agricultural waste, was developed as a novel eco-friendly bifunctional agent for mitigating microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). TSE exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, achieving an exceptional efficacy of 99.9% against gram-negative Desulfovibrio vulgaris and gram-positive Bacillus licheniformis sessile cells in their biofilms. TSE also decreased MIC rates by 98% and 91% for D. vulgaris and B. licheniformis, respectively. Additionally, TSE showed an efficiency of 85% in mitigating abiotic corrosion. The antimicrobial mechanism was found to stem from microbial cell disruption by bioactive components (nicotine, quercetin, caffeic acid), while corrosion inhibition arises from TSE adsorption on metal surfaces according to molecular simulation. These results demonstrated that TSE not only integrates antimicrobial and anticorrosion functions into a single natural extract, but also provides a sustainable utilization of waste for resource recovery, offering a promising green alternative to conventional commercial biocides for industrial MIC mitigation.

Key words: Steel, Microbiologically influenced corrosion, Biofilm, Corrosion inhibitor, Tobacco stem extract, Antibacterial

Jiahang Li, Di Wang, Xi Ouyang, Zehong Tian, Yalin Wu, Bei Liu, Zhilin Li, Enze Zhou, Xianghong Li, Fuhui Wang, Tingyue Gu, Dake Xu. Bifunctional eco-friendly tobacco stem extract with antibacterial and corrosion inhibition properties for mitigating microbiologically influenced corrosion[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2026, 257: 46-59.

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