Selfstructuring materials based on thiol PDMS PEG acrylates as fouling release coatings

 
Worldwide effective biocides against biofouling are subject to restrictions, which became increasingly stricter. Hence, new biocide free coatings are needed. One approach for the development of those coatings is based on thiol-acrylate chemistry. Due to the various reactions of this chemistry, it provides the opportunity to create self-structuring surfaces. This presentation deals with coating material based on this chemistry, which creates self-structuring surfaces in combination with special polydimethylenesiloxanes and polyethyleneglycole monomers. Amphiphilic surfaces with hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas could be produced, which show geometric structures as well as different material compositions on a micrometer scale. Various structured surfaces were tested in laboratory and field tests and show interesting fouling release properties depending on structure. The results show not only an effect of coating composition but also of manufacturing and curing type on surface structure and resulting fouling release properties.