Low-surface-free-energy GO/FSiAC coating with self-healing function for anticorrosion and antifouling applications

Low surface free energy coating can effectively suppress the initial adhesion of fouling organism. However, continuous attack of corrosive medium will inevitably weaken the coating barrier effect. Herein, a novel self-healing coating based on fluorine‑silicon copolymer (FSiAC) and 0.1 wt% graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by free radical copolymerization. The formed GO/FSiAC coating with the surface free energy of 22.6 mJ/m2 effectively suppressed the adhesion of chlorella, and the inhibition rate was 97%. EIS results showed that the impedance of GO/FSiAC coating increased and the coating porosity decreased with immersion time, indicating that the coating had self-healing property. DSC and FTIR measurements revealed that during the immersion process, the coating cross-linking degree increased due to the formation of net-like Si-O-Si structure. The barrier performance of GO and the self-healing capacity contributed to the superior corrosion resistance of the coating. The outstanding antifouling property is dependent on the low surface free energy of the coating and the antibacterial effect of GO. Novel GO/FSiAC coating with excellent antifouling and good self-healing anticorrosion performance has a potential application in marine engineering fields.