Mechanically Enhanced Self-Stratified Acrylic/Silicone Antifouling Coatings

Great attention has been paid to silicone-based fouling-release coatings (FRCs) in the realm of maritime antifouling due to their highly efficient and eco-friendly properties, but many challenges remain for developing a silicone-based FRC that improves its adhesion performance without reducing the antifouling property. Herein, a non-toxic silicone-based FRC has been developed by integrating acrylic resin (AR) with a silicon resin (PDMS) to spontaneously form a self-stratified AR/PDMS coating. The AR/PDMS antifouling coating still has the same fouling-release performance but improved adhesion strength (from 0.4 to 2.0 MPa) in comparison with pristine PDMS. Moreover, the antifouling coating has proven to be extremely stable in different environments (such as pH, heating, and ultraviolet exposure). The study provides a facile and convenient self-stratified strategy to develop antifouling coatings, contributing to environmentally friendly coatings in marine applications.