J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2025, Vol. 210: 265-277.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2024.05.025

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Multi-strategy combined bionic coating for long-term robust protection against marine biofouling

Nan Zhenga,b, Bo Jiaa, Jie Liua,*, Xiaojun Wanga, Duo Zhanga, Hairan Zhanga, Guoqing Wangb,**   

  1. aShaanxi Key Laboratory of Catalysis, School of Chemical and Environmental Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, PR China;
    bState Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, PR China
  • Received:2024-05-08 Revised:2024-05-24 Accepted:2024-05-27 Online:2024-06-01
  • Contact: *Shaanxi University of Technology, PR China. **Hainan University, PR China. E-mail addresses: zhengnan@snut.edu.cn (N. Zheng), liujie@snut.edu.cn (J. Liu), wangguoqing@hainanu.edu.cn (G. Wang).

Abstract: Polyurethane-fluorinated polysiloxane (PU-FPDMS) with high-strength, high-bonding and low surface energy is synthesized as the matrix, and the PU-FPDMS/ MCs/Ag marine anti-fouling coating on the surface of imitation crab shells is constructed by assembling butenolide@1,1-stilbene-modified hydrolyzed polyglycidyl methacrylate/graphene oxide microcapsules (Bu@PGMAm/GO MCs) with compact multi-shell structure and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) step by step on the PU-FPDMS matrix. The PU-FPDMS/ MCs/Ag bionic anti-fouling coatings achieve long-term and stable anti-fouling effect under the combination of robust low-surface-energy PU-FPDMS matrix, steady-state sustained release of butenolide encapsulated by the compact multi-shell, bionic surface formed by the microcapsules and AgNPs, and the release of Ag+. The shear strength, tensile strength, and elongation at break of the PU-FPDMS/ MCs/Ag are 3.53 MPa, 6.7 MPa, and 192.83 %, respectively. Its static contact angle and sliding angle are 161.8° and 3.6°, respectively. The antibacterial rate of PU-FPDMS/MCs/Ag against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans can reach 100 %. Compared with glass blank, PU, PU-FPDMS, PU-FPDMS/Ag, and PU-FPDMS/MCs, both the adhesion number and coverage percentage of chlorella adhere to PU-FPDMS/MCs/Ag are the minimum values, which are 600 cell mm-2 and 1.53 %, respectively. After 6 months of marine field test, the primer blank, PU, PU-FPDMS all show different degrees of attachment by shellfish, spirorbis, algae and other biofouling, while the PU-FPDMS/MCs/Ag coating is still not covered with biofouling, while the PU-FPDMS/MCs/Ag coatings still exhibit little attachment of marine fouling. The PU-FPDMS/ MCs/Ag bionic anti-fouling coatings are expected to be widely used in the fields of anti-fouling, anti-icing, anti-fogging, drag reduction, self-cleaning, and antibacterial.

Key words: Marine anti-biofouling, Bionic, Coating, Long-term and stable anti-fouling