Recent Developments and Practical Feasibility of Polymer‐Based Antifouling Coatings

Abstract

While nature has optimized its antifouling strategies over millions of years, synthetic antifouling coatings have not yet reached technological maturity. For an antifouling coating to become technically feasible, it should fulfill many requirements: high effectiveness, long‐term stability, durability, ecofriendliness, large‐scale applicability, and more. It is therefore not surprising that the search for the perfect antifouling coating has been going on for decades. With the discovery of metal‐based antifouling paints in the 1970s, fouling was thought to be a problem of the past, yet its untargeted toxicity led to serious ecological concern, and its use became prohibited. As a response, research shifted focus toward a biocompatible alternative: polymer‐based antifouling coatings. This has resulted in numerous advanced and innovative antifouling strategies, including fouling‐resistant, fouling‐release, and fouling‐degrading coatings. Here, these novel and exciting discoveries are highlighted while simultaneously assessing their antifouling performance and practical feasibility.

Antibacterial and Antiviral Functional Materials: Chemistry and Biological Activity toward Tackling COVID-19-like Pandemics

“…Conducting polymers such as polyaniline and polypyrrole have already proven their microbial resistance properties in many fields such as antifouling or antimicrobial coatings, 81 − 86 biomedical, 79 , 87 − 95 and food packaging. 96 − 101 Due to their superior properties against controlling the microbial colonization of various surfaces and the development of resistant microbe strains, they have been recently explored for disinfectant applications as well.…”

Catechol‐conjugated Dextran for Marine Antifouling Applications: The Adverse Effects of High Catechol Content

“…Marine fouling, which is the adhesion of marine organisms onto artificial surfaces, causes many problems in marine industries. [1][2][3][4][5] For example, the adhesion of foulants on marine vessels increases their hydrodynamic drag force, leading to increased fuel consumption. 6 For over 50 years, significant effort has been made to prevent this phenomenon, and various approaches have been successfully developed in this regard, such as biocide-based coating, 7,8 enzyme-based coating, 9,10 fouling-release coating, [11][12][13] and microtopographical surface engineering.…”

“…Marine fouling, which is the adhesion of marine organisms onto artificial surfaces, causes many problems in marine industries 1–5 . For example, the adhesion of foulants on marine vessels increases their hydrodynamic drag force, leading to increased fuel consumption 6 .…”

Interfacial Assembly Inspired by Marine Mussels and Antifouling Effects of Polypeptoids: A Neutron Reflection Study

“…Antifouling polymer brushes have been a main approach developed to reduce protein adsorption. 3 , 5 , 6 , 14 Polymers such as poly(vinyl chloride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(etherurethane), poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly( N -isopropylacrylamide), and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) and their copolymers can provide different extents of protein resistance, but their hemo-compatibility is often poor. 3 , 15 Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and related graft co-polymers have also been widely reported, although in some cases they may encounter chemical or enzymatic degradation.…”

“…Furthermore, most studies focus on short-term experiments demonstrating “zero” adsorption of novel systems, but fouling and subsequent protein-mediated interactions, nonetheless, occur in practical settings, not least around defects sites and as antifouling layers degrade over time. 6 …”