The corrosion inhibition properties of cerium acetyl acetonate (CeAA) in solution phase were studied by various electrochemical techniques including electrochemical noise (EN), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization test. The EIS and EN tests results demonstrated effective corrosion inhibition properties of cerium acetyl acetonate in solution phase on mild steel. Polarization test results revealed that the CeAA could inhibit both anodic and cathodic reactions. The partial solubility of CeAA in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution resulted in the formation of active Ce3+ cations and cerium acetyl acetonate anions which adsorbed and formed inhibitive films based on cerium oxide/hydroxide on the cathodic regions and Fe2+-cerium acetyl acetonate complex on the anodic sites. Moreover, the EIS results revealed that incorporation of CeAA pigment into epoxy-ester coating provided good corrosion-protective performance. Not only the barrier performance but also the active inhibition properties of the coating were improved in the presence of CeAA pigment. (c) 2017 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.