2-mercaptothiazoline (Terahydrozoline thioketone; 2-THIAZOLINE-2-THIOL; 2-THIAZOLIDINET-HIONE; 2-MERCAPTOTHIAZOLINE; 2-MERCAPTO-2-THIAZOLINE; 1,3-Thiazolidine-2-thione; 2 (3H)-Thiazolethione, 4,5-dihydro-; 2-Merapto-2-thiazoline)[1] is a one of the important organic additives for the electroplating solution of the printed wiring board industry and has been widely used as a corrosion inhibitor in many industrial processes. Actually, the prevention from the corrosion of metals used in industrial applications is an important issue that must be dealt with. The use of inhibitors is one of the most practical methods for protecting against the corrosion and it is becoming increasingly popular. Organic corrosion inhibitors, such as thiourea, phenylthiourea, and 2-mercaptothiazoline (2-MT), have been used for the protection against corrosion in many industrial processes.[2] Accordingly, these inhibitors have been frequently detected in wastewater effluents as well as river water. Furthermore, most of them are of high mobility within the aquatic system. Among them, 2-MT with a five-member heterocyclic ring has been commonly used as biocorrosion inhibitor, antifungal in medical application, and coating agent of metallic surfaces attributed to its adsorption or complexation on the surface of metal associated with the electron donor properties of N or S atoms. It has been also used as a brightening and stabilization agent in the electroplating solution of printed wiring board industry. The 2-MT is harmful according to its Material Safety Data Sheet. Thus, 2-MT is of concern as an aqueous pollutant in water and wastewater treatment. Chen et al.[2] had studied some explorations to provide some useful information for assessing the feasibility of the treatment of 2-MT in the aqueous solution by the ozonation.

In addition, The 2MT is a molecule that has practical applications in the plating solution of printed wiring board industry such as brightening and stabilization agents. The chemically modified 2MT was used for the purpose of the selective adsorption of the heavy metal ions and reported to be very selective to Hg(II) ions in aqueous solutions. A 2MT molecule has two sulphur atoms and one nitrogen atom as well as electrons which are assumed to be active centre of adsorption. The corrosion inhibition effect of 2MT has not been studied as corrosion inhibitor in details. Wang et al.[3] was studied 2MT as inhibitor for the corrosion of low carbon steel in phosphoric acid solution by weight loss method. At the same time, R. Solmaz et al.[4] have done some investigations of adsorption and inhibitive effect of 2-mercaptothiazoline on corrosion of mild steel in hydrochloric acid media.

Moreover, 2-Mercaptothiazoline is an antithyroid agent that strongly reduces thyroid hormone levels. 2-Mercaptothiazoline is also used as an intermediate in the preparation of pesticides and other biologically active compounds.[1]

References

[1] http://m.is0513.com/ProductChemicalPropertiesCB4175856_EN.htm 
[2] Chen Y H, Chang C Y, Chen C C, et al. Decomposition of 2-mercaptothiazoline in aqueous solution by ozonation[J]. Chemosphere, 2004, 56(2): 133-140. 
[3] L. Wang, G.-J. Yin, J.-G. Yin, Corros. Sci. 43 (2001) 1197.
[4] Solmaz R, Karda? G, Culha M, et al. Investigation of adsorption and inhibitive effect of 2-mercaptothiazoline on corrosion of mild steel in hydrochloric acid media[J]. Electrochimica Acta, 2008, 53(20): 5941-5952.