The synergistic inhibition effect of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) and Ce(SO4)(2) on the corrosion of copper in 0.5 M HCl solution was investigated by weight-loss, electrochemical methods and surface analysis. The electrochemical results showed that L-Phe has definite inhibition effects for copper, while Ce(IV) promoted the anodic process of copper corrosion. The combination L-Phe with Ce(IV) ion produced strong synergistic effect on corrosion inhibition for copper. The maximum inhibition efficiency was 82.7% for 5 mM L-Phe + 2 mM Ce(IV). The results of EIS and potentiodynamic polarization are in good agreement. SEM showed that L-Phe and Ce(IV) can form a dense protective film on the copper surface. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.