Deng, QiushiJeschke, SteffenMurdoch, Billy J.Hirth, SabineEiden, PhilippGorges, Jan N.Keil, PatrickChen, Xiao BoCole, Ivan2026-06-112026-06-110010-938XORCID:/0000-0001-6582-1457/work/217149510https://hdl.handle.net/1885/733810433Inhibitory behaviour of 2-amino-4-methyl-thiazole (2AT-Me) towards electro-galvanised steel (ZE) was investigated in neutral NaCl solution by electrochemical and surface analyses. It revealed that 2AT-Me acts as a mixed-type inhibitor with pronounced inhibition efficiency above 90% at a concentration of 15 mM. The adsorption behaviour of 2AT-Me upon ZE surface aligns with the Temkin adsorption isotherm. Moreover, surface studies illustrated that the formed protective film exhibits a multi-layered spatial structure comprising of passive oxides and inhibitor layers. The findings show promises for deploying small thiazole-based compounds in corrosion inhibition of ZE and zinc surfaces.The authors are grateful to the financial support of BASF Coatings GmbH, Germany through a research contract with RMIT University . The authors also acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance of the RMIT University's Microscopy & Microanalysis Facility, a linked laboratory of the Microscopy Australia. Q.D. is supported by BASF Coatings GmbH for the PhD scholarships.enPublisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier LtdA: Galvanised steelB: EIS, XPS depth profile, XPS, SEM-FIBC: Neutral corrosion inhibitor2022-05-0110.1016/j.corsci.2022.11020685125471578