Improved Antifouling Ability for Double‐Network Hydrogel Coatings with Excellent Elastic and Toughness under Marine Tidal Environment

Abstract

The marine coating in the tidal zone is crucial to restoring its protective function in the case of coating defects, mainly due to the structural damage of the coating by the alternation of wet and dry in the tidal zone and the surface damage of the coating by the impact of sand and gravel. Hydrophilic materials such as hydrogel transformed the tidal zone into an entire immersion zone. Due to the complexation of copper, the fouling problem can be effectively reduced. The coating (AAm/Alginate‐Ca/Cu‐BTA) has excellent mechanical properties (modulus: 200 kPa, toughness 128 J m−2) and significant adhesion (138 J m−2). Otherwise, herein, simultaneously mechanical tests of hydrogels at different temperatures and excellent mechanical properties (modulus: 160 kPa, toughness 100 J m−2) after 7 days of use in alternating dry and wet environments every 6 h are shown. It's proved that the coating has an excellent antifouling and anticorrosion effect. Meanwhile, theoretical study reveals the nature of the weak mechanical properties of hydrogel materials at low temperatures. This work provides an effective strategy for preparing hydrogel coatings with excellent mechanical properties and marine anticorrosion and antifouling. It also proves that hydrogels have broad application prospects in marine tidal zone by excellent water retention performance.

Innovative Acrylic Resin-Hydrogel Double-Layer Coating: Achieving Dual-Anchoring, Enhanced Adhesion, and Superior Anti-Biofouling Properties for Marine Applications

“…Figure 8 shows the production process of the A-H DL coating. The copolymerization of AAm and TMSPMA resulted in the formation of the first network of hydrogels, establishing the initial anchoring with the primer [16,20,24]. Incorporating the gel microspheres, prepared as per the aforementioned steps, into the gel precursor enabled the creation of a second network of hydrogels.…”

“…Considering the application scenarios of hydrogel marine coatings, dual-network hydrogels prove particularly well-suited [16,[19][20][21][22][23]. They ensure the stability of the gel coatings over extended periods, even under diverse underwater conditions, thereby offering prolonged protection to the substrate [24].…”

Robust Fluorescent Silica/Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogel Membrane for Tracking and Antifouling

“…The initial stage of fouling involves the adhesion of proteins and polysaccharides on materials. Recent studies have highlighted the potent inhibitory effect of hydrogel materials on the adsorption of proteins, polysaccharides, and marine organisms. , Hydrogel coatings, therefore, hold considerable research importance and promise for practical applications in preventing or mitigating marine biofouling at its source.…”

Hydrogel-Anchored Fe-Based Amorphous Coatings with Integrated Antifouling and Anticorrosion Functionality

“…The hydrogel, consisting of a porous polymer material, was chosen in this study due to its excellent antifouling properties. − For example, it has been demonstrated that the amphiphilic hydrogel coating had outstanding resistance against the fouling of bacteria, proteins, and other microorganisms under both laboratory and field tests . Li et al designed double-network hydrogel coating loading corrosion inhibitors, which exhibited synchronously good anticorrosion and antifouling properties. However, traditional hydrogel layers generally do not contain biocide, and they always have poor mechanical durability and low adhesion strength with metals .…”