Robust Hydration Effects in Self-Polishing Coatings for an Enhanced Static Antifouling Performance

Self-polishing antifouling coatings epitomize the foremost and most widely adopted approach within the realm of marine antifouling technology. However, their effectiveness under static conditions remains a significant limitation. Inspired by the highly hydrated interface of coral structures and their remarkable static antifouling capabilities, subsurface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (sSI-ATRP) was employed to obtain the waterborne self-polishing antifouling coatings with a highly hydrated polymer interface (HHPI-m-WSPC). The pronounced polymer brush modification of these waterborne self-polishing coatings was confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, and SEM characterization. Particularly, the stable hydrated interface was investigated by incorporating typical polymer brushes of potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPMA). The synergistic effect between the self-polishing antifouling coatings and the hydrated interface exhibited an outstanding antifouling performance under static conditions. Moreover, even subsequent to abrasion or degradation of the surface polymer brushes, the underlying self-polishing coating can initiate fresh polymerization reactions, thereby restoring static antifouling properties to the interface and enabling the recyclable modification of the substrate. This study therefore proposes a promising avenue for advancing antifouling technology in marine environments.