Integration of antifouling and foul-release moieties for optimizing the performance of PEG-silicone coatings

Antifouling coatings are critical in preventing the surface of sea vessels being heavily fouled by bio-organisms. In this work, we attached biocidal moieties (Isobornyl methacrylate, IBOMA) to the side chains of the polyacrylic polymer to form the antifouling polymer (AFP). Then, the hydrophilic polysiloxane (HP) was prepared through the polyaddition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and alkoxysilane onto the main chain of the hydrogen silicone oil. Finally, the hydrophilic fouling release coatings (FRCs) were formed by the reaction or winding of antifouling polymer and HP polymer with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) method (IPN-FRCs). The effects of the content of AFP and HP on the adhesion, surface roughness, and antifouling performance of the applied coatings on substrate are thoroughly studied and revealed in details through different analytic techniques. The IPN-FRCs exhibit high adhesion strength to the substrate, and the surface roughness is greatly reduced when submerged in seawater. Furthermore, the IPN-FRCs have high performance against seawater bio-organisms, such as barnacles, during both in-lab and marine field tests when right polymer ratios were chosen. Thus, the novel FRCs may have great potential to be applied for marine vessels in line with their low-cost in raw materials and high performance of the final products.