This work reports on a newly observed synergistic inhibition between indigo carmine and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) on 1045 carbon steel (CS) corroded in a 0.5M HCl solution. The results of electrochemical measurements showed that CTAB could change indigo carmine in a manner that would accelerate corrosion and produce an effective inhibitor. The maximal protection efficiency was significantly greater than 0.985, with the concentration of the combination inhibitors reaching approximately 5 x 10(-5) M. The microstructure of the CS corrosion surface demonstrated that the indigo disulfonate anions and cetyltrimethylammonium cations were adsorbed simultaneously on the CS surface to protect it from corrosion. Diffusion coefficient analysis and the surface concentration profiles of the corrosive species were used to investigate the synergistic effect of the indigo carmine/CTAB combination inhibitors, and the results demonstrate the existence of synergy. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.