Recent Developments and Practical Feasibility of Polymer‐Based Antifouling Coatings

TLDR

Synthetic antifouling coatings have not yet achieved technological maturity, prompting a shift toward ecofriendly polymer‑based alternatives after metal‑based paints were banned for toxicity. The study aims to highlight recent polymer‑based antifouling discoveries and assess their performance and practical feasibility. The authors evaluate the antifouling performance and practical feasibility of these polymer‑based coatings.

Abstract

Abstract While nature has optimized its antifouling strategies over millions of years, synthetic antifouling coatings have not yet reached technological maturity. For an antifouling coating to become technically feasible, it should fulfill many requirements: high effectiveness, long‐term stability, durability, ecofriendliness, large‐scale applicability, and more. It is therefore not surprising that the search for the perfect antifouling coating has been going on for decades. With the discovery of metal‐based antifouling paints in the 1970s, fouling was thought to be a problem of the past, yet its untargeted toxicity led to serious ecological concern, and its use became prohibited. As a response, research shifted focus toward a biocompatible alternative: polymer‐based antifouling coatings. This has resulted in numerous advanced and innovative antifouling strategies, including fouling‐resistant, fouling‐release, and fouling‐degrading coatings. Here, these novel and exciting discoveries are highlighted while simultaneously assessing their antifouling performance and practical feasibility.