Capsaicin-based silicone antifouling coating with enhanced interlocking adhesion via SIPN

Silicone-based coatings generally exhibit excellent dynamic fouling release due to their low surface energy and elastic modulus. However, the poor adhesion of these coatings at the interface between the coating and the substrate, as well as deficient static antifouling capabilities, severely deteriorate their antifouling properties over extended periods. Herein, an epoxy-poly(dimethylsiloxane)/capsaicin (EP-PDMS/CAP) coating with highly enhanced interfacial adhesion and remarkable antifouling performances was prepared. The coating adhesion strength of the EP-PDMS/CAP has been improved by more than 5 times compared to a PDMS control coating (from 0.4 MPa to 2.04 MPa) by forming a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN) structure between the epoxy and PDMS layers. The EP-PDMS/CAP coating achieved the superior antifouling effects in both static and dynamic conditions, the anti-bacterial rate was as high as 96.8 %, and the anti-algal adhesion rate to the green algae Chlorella increased by 95.7 %, due to the synergistic effects of the fouling release performance from the PDMS coating and the fouling prevention of capsaicin. Furthermore, the EP-PDMS/CAP coating was proven to be extremely stable in different treatments such as acid/basic solutions, air oven heating test, and cyclic sand abrasion, showing great potential for anti-biofouling under aggressive conditions. This work provides a promising pathway towards the development of high-performance silicone-based composite coatings for efficient marine anti-biofouling.