Fluorinated diols modified polythiourethane copolymer for marine antifouling coatings

The development of environmentally friendly alternatives is a crucial issue, since the prohibition of tributyltin (TBT)-based antifouling coatings. In this work, a series of fluorinated diols modified polythiourethane (HO-FPTU-x) have been synthesized via a simple and convenient polymerization reaction with HDI, PETMP and various of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-1,4-benzenedimethanol (HOCH2-FB-Al) at the room temperature, and their antifouling properties are explored as well. The laboratory assays and marine field tests (6 months) show that the HO-FPTU-7.5 (with 7.5 wt% HOCH2-FB-Al) coating has shown excellent antifouling/fouling release properties. The side chains of the HO-FPTU polymers simultaneously contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups, which construct an "ambiguous'' surface after immersing into water. The marine organisms may be "confused'' by the "ambiguous'' surface and be removed easily during settlement and adhesion. This work provides a facile strategy for designing environment friendly marine antifouling coatings.