The application of capsaicin in antifouling technologies in marine environments

Marine biofouling has been negatively affecting human sailing since ancient times. Traditional antifouling coatings, such as tributyl tin-based coatings, were banned globally in 2008 due to their inherent toxicity and severe threat to the marine environment. Developing environmentally friendly, long-term marine antifouling coatings remains a huge challenge for the maritime industry. Capsaicin is one of the natural product antifoulants (NPAs). Capsaicin is favored by researchers due to its good antifouling effect and low toxicity. This review provides insights into four methods of application of capsaicin in the field of antifouling: incorporation into coatings, encapsulation <i>via</i> microcapsules, synthesis and exploration of capsaicin derivatives and incorporation into membranes to enhance the antifouling properties of materials. This paper compares the experimental data of various applied methods in the hope of enlightening interested researchers.