Antifouling of Titania Nanostructures in Real Maritime Conditions

Titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles of porous hollow sphere structures were fabricated using one-step hydrothermal approach. Their sizes were observed to be around 500 nm. The large quantity of nanotubes grew on the TiO₂ porous particles were found to be 100–200 nm in length. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra confirmed the crystallinity and crystal size variation. The application of prepared TiO₂ hollow spheres was further proved by loading the antifouling agent 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT) and tested in the real ocean. A four month field test showed that few marine organisms grew on the top of TiO₂/BIT coating and thus confirmed its antifouling ability. Due to the large specific surface area, porous structure, and good penetration, the hierarchical TiO₂-derived hollow microspheres may find great applications in photovoltaic cells, catalysis and high-surface-area electrodes.