Research progress of fouling resistance silicone-based antifouling coatings (Ⅰ)

Marine biofouling refers to the biological fouling formed by the attachment, growth and reproduction of marine microorganisms, animals and plants on the surface below seawater, which brings many problems to marine facilities and marine development

Among the many marine antifouling methods, applying antifouling coatings is the most effective, economical and convenient method

1 Amphiphilic polymer modified silicone

Marine organisms are diverse, and different fouling organisms have different adhesion mechanisms.

Figure 1 (a) Synthesis of amphiphilic telomers and (b) anti-diatom properties of amphiphilic telomer-modified silicones

In recent years, the above amphiphilic polymers have also been introduced into organic-inorganic hybrid xerogel FRCs

To solve the above problems, Chen et al.

2 Zwitterion/Quaternary Ammonium Salt Modified Silicone

Zwitterionic materials can form a hydration layer through electrostatic interaction with water, which has been proven to effectively prevent the adhesion of proteins and microorganisms.

Quaternary Ammonium Salts (QAS) are broad-spectrum fungicides capable of effectively killing microorganisms such as Gram-positive and negative bacteria, yeasts, and molds

3 Hydrogel modified silicone

The hydrogel material is composed of a three-dimensional cross-linked polymer network, and the network contains a large amount of water (60%~99%, mass fraction).
Due to its high hydrophilicity, it can form a hydration layer, thereby reducing protein and contamination.
damage to biological adhesion
.
Many literatures have reported hydrogel-modified silicone antifouling coatings
.
Zhu et al.
first prepared a block copolymer macromonomer of poly(2-methyl-oxazoline)-PDMS (PMeOx-PDMS), and then mixed it with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and cross The linking agent initiates polymerization under ultraviolet light to obtain silicone hydrogel
.
With the increase of PMeOx-PDMS macromonomer content, the water content in the hydrogel gradually increased, the water contact angle also decreased accordingly, and the anti-protein adsorption capacity also gradually increased
.
Liu et al.
firstly used a hydrosilylation reaction to graft an acrylic polyether on the side chain of hydrogen-containing silicone oil, and then added this polymer to a curing system containing silanol-terminated PDMS and tetraethoxysilane.
Under the catalysis of dibutyltin dilaurate, a polycondensation reaction occurs to obtain a cross-linked silicone coating, which exhibits good antifouling ability in 30d marine static and dynamic tests
.
To enhance the antifouling performance, Tian et al.
introduced a nanocomposite hydrogel into the cross-linked PDMS network
.
This nanocomposite hydrogel, composed of silver nanoparticles and thiol-containing acetylthioester polymers, showed a significant decrease in the water contact angle after it was incorporated into PDMS
.
The sterilization rate of the coating to E.
coli is close to 100%, and the removal rate of various diatoms, such as chlorella, phaeodactylumtricornutum and Navicula, is close to 90%, showing a good antifouling effect
.
However, it should be pointed out that since the hydrogel material contains a large amount of water, the coating will swell when immersed in seawater for a long time, thereby reducing the mechanical properties of the coating, causing the coating to fall off and affecting the antifouling effect
.