Abstract
Butenolide derivatives have the potential to be effective and environmentally friendly antifouling agents. In the present study, a butenolide derivative was structurally modified into Boc-butenolide to increase its melting point and remove its foul smell. The structurally modified Boc-butenolide demonstrated similar antifouling capabilities to butenolide in larval settlement bioassays but with significantly lower toxicity at high concentrations. Release-rate measurements demonstrated that the antifouling compound Boc-butenolide could be released from polycaprolactone-polyurethane (PCL-PU)-based coatings to inhibit the attachment of foulers. The coating matrix was easily degraded in the marine environment. The performance of the Boc-butenolide antifouling coatings was further examined through a marine field test. The coverage of biofouler on the Boc-butenolide coatings was low after 2 months, indicating the antifouling potential of Boc-butenolide.
Highlights
Since the prohibition of tributyltin in 2008, many studies have attempted to discover novel antifouling compounds from marine natural products [1]
The concentration of Boc-butenolide measured at day 0 is around 64 ppm and dropped to approximately 50 ppm after 3 months in Artificial seawater (ASW)
The structure of butenolide was modified to Boc-butenolide to solve the problems of low melting point and smelliness of butenolide
Summary
Since the prohibition of tributyltin in 2008, many studies have attempted to discover novel antifouling compounds from marine natural products [1]. The first solution is to explore marine natural products from microorganisms, as microorganisms can produce a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites [8,9,10]. The second solution involves structural optimisation using organic synthesis [6,11]. Secondary metabolites extracted from organisms are often complex in structure; they can be difficult to synthesise effectively in large quantities for commercial-scale usage [6,11]. By studying the structure– activity relationship of bioactive compounds isolated from organisms, pharmacophores that are responsible for antifouling abilities can be identified [11]. Optimisation of the compound’s structure is performed with the goal of increasing its potency, decreasing the toxicity of the original compound [12], improving other physical or chemical properties of the compound and simplifying the chemical structure for chemical synthesis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
