Electron-Withdrawing Effects for Tailoring Oxidative-Stress-Mediated Coating in Marine Antifouling

Oxidative stress derived from excess reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) induces cellular damage, apoptosis, and necrosis, thus effective biofouling control by directly inhibiting primary membrane formation. However, the oxidative stress produced that does not rely on additional energy still is a challenge. Herein, an oxidative-stress-mediated marine antifouling polyurea coating is prepared leveraging the strong electron absorption effect of C═N. Given the structure of the urethane bond, the reversible reaction energy barrier of the dynamic urethane bond can be reduced, thereby enabling the urethane bond to be broken without the need for additional energy. The alkyl radical (R·) originating from the oxime-urethane bond can mediate the induction of oxidative stress in cells and microbial death, thus preserving exceptional antifouling properties and resisting most of the organism to adhere on the substrates. Notably, the coating indicates satisfactory antibacterial and antialgae performance and exhibits 8 months of marine field antifouling performance. In addition, the electron structure is investigated by theoretical calculation, and the interface behavior is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. This work presents a pioneering example of the construction of oxidative-stress-mediated coating, which might be a judicious design strategy for an environmentally friendly marine antifouling coating.