Effect of the properties of long afterglow phosphors on the antifouling performance of silicone fouling-release coating

Abstract

To improve the static antifouling performance of the fouling-release silicone antifouling coating, blue-green (BG), yellow-green (YG), and sky blue (SB) long afterglow phosphors (LAP) with two kinds of luminescence intensities are added into the silicone coating, respectively, and the LAP/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite antifouling coating with different colors and luminance was prepared. Using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), laser particle size analyzer, and fluorescence spectrometer, the crystal structure, particle size, fluorescence properties, and emission wavelength of LAP were studied. Through laser confocal scanning microscope (CLSM), tensile test, contact angle measurement, photometer, marine bacteria, and boat-shaped benthic diatom attachment test, the surface morphology and roughness, tensile properties, wettability, and surface of the coating were studied energy, fluorescence illuminance, and anti-fouling performance. The results showed that the addition of LAP increased the fracture strength, elastic modulus, and surface free energy of the coatings. Each kind of LAP can improve the performance of PDMS coatings to inhibit the adhesion of marine bacterial biofilm and benthic marine algae. The higher the luminous illuminance, the better the antifouling performance of the coating. The SB coating has the most excellent antifouling performance and in particular, the relative adhesion rate (RAR) of fouling organisms of the SB highlight LAP/PDMS composite antifouling coating is only 37.8 %. This research provides new ideas for the development of new fluorescent antifouling coatings and has a certain enlightening significance for improving the static antifouling performance of fouling-release antifouling coatings (FRC).