Transparent,\nFlexible, Responsive Switching “Delayed”\nAmphiphilic Coatings Designed on the Basis of the Full-Cycle Antifouling\nStrategy

Marine\nfouling on the surface of ships and equipment not only creates\nproblems of enhanced resistance to navigation and increased energy\nconsumption but also leads to unclear vision and inaccurate data collection.\nAntifouling coatings to resist fouling are effective, but it is difficult\nto achieve long-lasting fouling protection with a single interface\nstate. Switching the status of the interface by intelligent response\nis a reasonable way to achieve full-cycle efficient antifouling. In\nthis study, the hydrophobic and active antifouling interface in the\ninitial state was achieved by adopting the fluorine-containing group\nand the natural extract (citronellol) as the antifouling active site.\nThe switching of the interface relies on silanes, which respond to\nthe generation of zwitterions in a seawater environment. Eventually,\nthe interface switched from the hydrophobic state to the amphiphilic\nstate with delayed formation, which achieved continued antifouling.\nBased on the full-cycle antifouling concept, the combination of low\nsurface energy and antifouling active ingredients in the initial state\nsustainably switched surfaces in the midterm (free radicals generated\nduring the hydrolysis process), and amphiphilic interfaces formed\nby “delays” produced an antifouling effect from the\ninitial stage to the subsequent stage. The excellent antifouling activity\n(bacterial and diatom attachment inhibition by over 90% and significantly\nreduced mussel adhesion force), optical transparency, and flexibility\nof these coatings indicate the potential for the application of antifouling\ncoatings prepared from hyperbranched silicone-based resins; they can\nalso be used for data extraction sensors, underwater probes, marine\nphotovoltaics, and other areas where transparency is required.