ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2020, 2, 1429−1437

Fouling Release Coating Consisting of Hyperbranched Poly(εcaprolactone)/Siloxane Elastomer

ABSTRACT: Fouling release coatings generally consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer cannot renew their surface and exhibit poor antifouling ability under static conditions. In this study, we have prepared a biodegradable network based on hyperbranched poly(ε-caprolactone) (h-PCL) and siloxane via esterification reaction and condensation. The network with PCL segments is able to biodegrade in a marine environment as a function of the degree of branching and the content of ester, forming a dynamic surface to inhibit the adhesion of marine biofouling. Meanwhile, the low crystallinity and chemical crosslinking make the network yield an elastic surface. The presence of siloxane increases the surface smoothness and reduces the surface energy of elastomer. As revealed by a pseudobarnacle removal test, the elastomer has fouling release performance. With a dynamic surface and fouling release ability, the biodegradable elastomer coating is promising to be an environment-friendly antifouling coating.

文章链接：https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b01056