Magnesium wrought alloy AZ31 has a 30% lower density than aluminum alloys and provides the opportunity to reduce vehicle weight and hence to reduce fuel consumption. Today, the use in industrial applications is limited due to low corrosion resistance. Carboxylic and phosphonic acids were investigated as promising alternatives for corrosion protection on AZ31 magnesium wrought alloy. Adsorption and orientation of organic monolayers were studied as a function of aliphatic chain lengths and head groups. As final result, the octadecylphosphonic acid led to a measureable lowering of the corrosion current density and inhibited the growth of the oxide film under humid conditions. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.