Coatings with a self-generating hydrogel surface for antifouling

We prepared a coating by mixing a polyfunctional axiridine cross-linking agent and a self-polishing resin pre-synthesized via the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), acrylic acid (AA) and tributylsilyl methacrylate (TBSM). The coating can be easily applied on a surface to form a cross-linked polymer film by conventional brushing or spraying method. After immersing it into seawater, the film self-generates a thin soft and dynamic layer of hydrogel at the water-contacting surface because of the hydrolysis of TBSM. Such a hydrogel-formation process continues after gradual corrosion and detachment of each top hydrophilic layer. This hydrogel-formation and self-peeling property makes it ideal in various antifouling applications. In the current study, besides the synthesis and preparation of this novel kind of coatings, we focused on the correlation between the TBSM content and the antifouling property by using contact angle, water-absorption, and antifouling measurements. The results of immersing different coatings in shallow submergence for two months reveal that the addition of more TBSM leads to a more hydrophilic surface and a better antifouling property.