Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly Marine Antifouling Coating of Phenol Absorbed by Polyvinylpyrrolidone Anchored on Stainless Steel Surfaces

Marine biofouling is a major problem that contributes to the failure of man-made marine structures. Conventional marine antifouling coatings that release heavy metal ions for antimicrobial purposes are no longer in line with today’s environmental issues. In this paper, a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembled marine antifouling coating based on an addition reaction between polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and phenols to anchor pyrogallic (PG) with an antimicrobial effect on stainless steel surfaces is presented. For this purpose, three phenolics were selected, and their antifouling effects were compared. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR) were used to thoroughly characterize the LBLPGs, and the results showed superior homogeneity of the coatings with no significant delamination. Simulated marine antifouling and friction tests showed that the coating inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum) by more than 90% and reduced the friction coefficient of the stainless steel surface from 0.38 to 0.24, demonstrating superior antifouling and friction resistance effects.