Chunfeng Ma

South China University of Technology | SCUT · Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering

ConspectusMarine organisms such as barnacle larvae and spores of algae adhere to underwater surfaces leading to marine biofouling. This phenomenon has numerous adverse impacts on marine industries and maritime activities. Due to the diversity of fouling organisms and the complexity of the marine environment, it is a huge challenge to combat marine...

Hard yet flexible coatings with multi‐functionalities are useful for foldable displays and marine industries but rare. In this study, a highly cross‐linked multifunctional hybrid coating with ceramic‐like hardness and polymer‐like flexibility is reported. The coating is prepared via a step‐by‐step strategy, where two types of epoxy‐oligosiloxane na...

Polyurea with strong hydrogen bond interactions has excellent mechanical strength, toughness, and strain-rate-dependent behavior. However, the too fast polymerization and lack of functions limit its applications. In this study, a high-strength polyurea elastomer with impact resistance and antifouling function was prepared with secondary amine–oligo...

Simultaneous realization of superior mechanical and antifouling properties is critical for a coating. The use of stereoscopic polysiloxanes in place of linear polysiloxanes to fabricate antifouling coatings can combine properties of organic and inorganic materials, i.e., they can exhibit both high hardness and wear resistance from inorganic compone...

Smart anti-impact materials are desirable for personal protection and industrial security. However, they often suffer from poor performance control and inherent stability issues. Here, inspired by the excellent energy absorption of cartilage structure, we develop a dual-network impact-hardening gel composed of dynamic polyborosiloxane and entangled...

Polyureas are widely used as protective materials because they have good mechanical strength, toughness, and strain-rate-dependent behavior. However, the fast reaction between −NCO and the −NH2 component results in gelation in seconds, limiting their performance regulation and applications. In this study, we report a novel strategy to fabricate one...

Developing eco-friendly antifouling materials for combating marine biofouling has long been a challenging task. Herein, we report a non‑silicone elastomer coating based on hyperbranched poly (ε-caprolactone) (HPCL) cross-linked with an amphiphilic triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)....

Flexible hard coatings with strong adhesion are critical requirements for several foldable devices and marine applications; however, only a few such coatings have been reported. Herein, we report a non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) coating prepared by the epoxy-oligosiloxane nanocluster-amine curing reaction and cyclic carbonate-amine polyaddition...

Antifouling ability and substrate adhesion are typical trade-offs seen for a silicone coating. Furthermore, the self-healable inability limits their duration. This study reports a bioinspired self-stratifying coating composed of a polyurethane with dopamine and silane pedant groups and a bi-silanol-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) with fluorocarbo...

Marine biofouling caused huge economic losses of maritime industries. We aim to develop high-efficient, less-toxic, and cost-effective antifoulants to solve the problems of biofouling. In this study, we described the antifouling compounds albofungin and its derivatives (albofungin A, chrestoxanthone A, and chloroalbofungin) isolated from the metabo...

Regeneration of zwitterionic surfaces is a promising strategy to combat biofouling. In this study, we have prepared degradable hyperbranched anti-biofouling polymers of methyl methacrylate, tertiary carboxybetaine ester (TCB), and divinyl monomers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The degradation rate of su...

The present invention relates to the technical field of marine antifouling materials. Disclosed is a main-chain degradable copper polyacrylate resin, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof. The main-chain degradable copper polyacrylate resin is prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 100 parts by weight of an ac...

Superhydrophobic coatings have tremendous potential for protecting porous structures from corrosion. However, the weak adhesion and poor abrasion resistance have long been challenges for their real-life applications. Inspired by tree roots, we prepared a robust superhydrophobic coating by spraying fluorinated nanodiamonds (FNDs) on a permeable epox...

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 bute...

Hyperbranched polymers with high solubility, low viscosity, low crystallinity and dense functional groups are promising to be used in adhesives and coatings. In this study, we have developed a cleavable hyperbranched poly(ester-co-vinyl) with diethylene glycol unit and unreacted pendant vinyl group via radical ring-opening copolymerization of 2-met...

Antifouling coatings are often required to have both excellent fouling resistance and mechanical properties for their applications. This study reports a water‐borne antifouling coating consisting of an amine‐terminated hyperbranched polysiloxane and a fouling resistant epoxy‐zirconium particle, where the former is prepared using amine‐functionalize...

Natural lacquers have long been used as environment-friendly and renewable coatings. Generally, they dry slowly and do not have fouling resistance limiting their applications. Herein, we report a rapid curing, self-stratifying amphiphilic hybrid lacquer coating with excellent antifouling and anticorrosive properties. The coating was prepared by usi...

Traditional antifouling coatings are generally based on a single antifouling mechanism, which can hardly meet the needs of different occasions. Here, a single “kill–resist–renew trinity” polymeric coating integrating fouling killing, resistance, and releasing functions is reported. To achieve the design, a novel monomer-tertiary carboxybetaine este...

Using natural product-based antifouling coatings has proven to be an effective strategy to combat biofouling. However, their antifouling mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, the antifouling mechanism of natural product-based coatings consisting of bio-sourced poly(lactic acid)-based polyurethane and eco-friendly antifoulant (butenolide) der...

The controlled release of antifoulant is critical in marine antifouling, which is profoundly influenced by the compatibility between polymer resin and antifoulant. Conjugation of polymers with active molecules provides a promising strategy to solve the problem. In this study, we report the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers containing antifouling...

Silicone elastomer coatings have attracted increasing attention owing to its eco-friendly nature, excellent fouling release ability and drag-reducing property. However, the poor mechanical properties and lack of fouling resistance limits their applications. Herein, a silicone-based polyurethane with 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) and amphiphilic...

Silicone based fouling release coatings with eco-friendliness have received growing interest. Yet, their poor fouling resistance and self-repairing inability restrict their applications. Here, we report a new poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating cross-linked via coordination bonds between 2-(2-benzimidazolyl)ethanethiol (BET) and zinc ions. Such m...

Silicone-based fouling-release coatings (FRCs) have received increasing interest because they are environmentally friendly. However, the coatings with poor mechanical properties and low adhesion to substrate are difficult to repair after damage, which limits their applications. In this study, poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based polyurea (PDMS-PUa) was mod...

Zwitterionic polymers gain increasing attention for their excellent fouling resistance ability and eco-friendliness. Yet, the non-degradability and hydrophilic nature limit their applications. In this study, we have prepared a novel surface-fragmenting hyperbranched copolymer with tertiary carboxybetaine ester (TCB) primary chains and poly(ε-caprol...

Biodegradable polymers are promising binders and carriers for natural antifoulants. In the present study, an antifouling (AF) coating was developed by adding a non-toxic AF compound (butenolide) to a bio-based and biodegradable poly(lactic acid)-based polyurethane. Mass loss measurement showed that the polymer degraded in seawater at a rate of 0.01...

The antifouling properties of traditional self-polishing marine antifouling coatings are mainly achieved based on their hydrolysis-sensitive side groups or the degradable polymer main chains. Here, we prepared a highly branched copolymer for self-polishing antifouling coatings, in which the primary polymer chains are bridged by degradable fragments...

Fouling release coatings generally consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer cannot renew their surface and exhibit poor antifouling ability under static conditions. In this study, we have prepared a biodegradable network based on hyperbranched poly(ε-caprolactone) (h-PCL) and siloxane via esterification reaction and condensation. The net...

Marine biofouling profoundly influences marine industries and activities. It slows the speed and increases the fuel consumption of ships, corrodes the offshore platforms and blocks the seawater pipelines. The most effective and economic antifouling approach is using coatings. Fouling release coatings (FRCs) with low surface free energy and high ela...

“From the nature, for the nature” is an instructive strategy to develop environment-friendly antifouling coatings. In this work, bio-sourced poly(lactic acid) based polyurethane with hydrolyzable triisopropylsilyl acrylate (TSA) side groups has been prepared via thiol-ene reaction and polyaddition. Such a polymer exhibits high adhesion strength (~2...

Protective coatings are effective to prevent concrete from corrosion and improve its durability. In this study, we report a novel epoxy coating with cross-linkable solvent via Diels-Alder reaction. Such a coating has a low viscosity so it can permeate into the pores or defects of concrete up to 1.5 mm, whereas the solvents cross-link with epoxy res...

Fouling release coatings receive growing attention because they are eco-friendly, where their elasticity plays a critical role in detaching biofouling. In this study, a non-elastic organic-inorganic hybrid coating is prepared by facile sol-gel process from mixing silane-terminated telomer of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA) and poly(ethylene...

Inspired by fish skin, biomimetic self-renewal poly [(ethylene oxide)-co-(ethylene carbonate)] (PEOC) brushes with protein resistence had been prepared via surface initiated ring-opening polymerization (ROP). The results of hydrolytic degradation indicated that the PEOC brushes could degrade in artificial seawater. Ellipsometry, XPS and contact ang...

Regeneration of antifouling polymer surfaces after contamination or damage is an important issue, especially in complex marine environments. Here, inspired by self-renewal of silyl acrylate polymers and protein resistance of zwitterionic polymers, we prepared a novel hydrolysis-induced zwitterionic monomer-tertiary carboxybetaine triisopropylsilyl...

Surface stiffness plays a critical role in bacterial adhesion but the mechanism is unclear since the bacterial motion before adhesion is overlooked. Herein, the three-dimensional (3D) motions of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudonomas. sp nov 776 onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces with varying stiffness before adhering were monitored by...

It is expected that the widely dispersed ions in seawater would have strong influences on the performance of polymeric marine antibiofouling materials through the modulation of enzymatic degradation of the materials. In this work, poly(ε-caprolactone) based polyurethane (PCLPU) and poly(triisopropylsilyl methacrylate-co-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane) (...

Silicone elastomer is one of the eco-friendly fouling release materials. However, it suffers from poor fouling resistant performance during idle periods. We have developed a silicone elastomer with self-stratifying, non-leaching amphiphilic side chains by grafting telomer of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether...

Chemical immobilization of antifoulant groups to polymers is a promising approach to develop ecofriendly antifouling materials with static antifouling ability and a durable efficacy. In this work, telomer of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA), triclosan acrylate (TA), and 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (KH590) is grafted to bis-silanol termi...

To meet the demand for clean water, solar-driven water evaporation has recently drawn growing attention due to the high efficiency and environmental-friendly procedure. For the transportation of water, these evaporation devices mostly possess porous structure. However, for long-term use in the actual environment, it should be highly required to pre...

Polymer resins are critical for marine anti-biofouling coatings. In this study, degradable poly(ester-co-acrylate) with antifoulant pendant groups has been prepared by the radical ring-opening polymerization of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N-methacryloyloxy methyl benzoisothiazolinone (V-BIT). Such a polymer contai...

It has been demonstrated that electric fields can minimize surface adhesion of bacteria, but how they affect the near-surface bacterial dynamics has remained largely overlooked. In the present study, the three-dimensional motions of Escherichia coli (E. coli) HCB1 and HCB1414 near a conductive surface under alternating-current (AC) electric fields...

Marine biofouling is a global problem today. High efficiency and eco-friendly antifouling systems are in pressing need. In recent years, we have proposed the concept of Dynamic Surface Antifouling (DSA). That is, a continuously changing surface can effectively prevent marine fouling organisms from landing and adhesion. Based on this strategy, we de...

Being biodegradable and eco-friendly, polyesters are promising in marine anti-biofouling. However, the slow degradation and poor adhesion limit their applications. In the present work, we have prepared poly(ester)-poly (methyl methacrylate) copolymer via radical ring-opening copolymerization of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) and methyl methacrylat...

Persistent protein resistance is critical for marine antibiofouling. We have prepared copolymer of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO), tertiary carboxybetaine ester (TCB) and 7-methacryloyloxy-4-methylcoumarin (MAMC) via radical ring-opening polymerization, where MDO, TCB and MAMC make the polymer degradable, protein resistible and photo-crosslinkable...

The copolymerization via a radical ring opening polymerization of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) with various silyl methacrylates including bis(trimethylsiloxy)methylsilyl methacrylate (MATM2), triisopropylsilyl methacrylate (TIPSiMA) and tributylsilyl methacrylate (TBSiMA) is reported. Kinetics of polymerization show that the monomers react in a...

Butenolide is an environmentally friendly antifouling natural product, but its efficiency and mechanism in preventing biofilm formation have not been examined. Furthermore, controlling the release of butenolide from paints into seawater is technically challenging. A coating was developed by mixing butenolide with a biodegradable polymer, poly (ε-ca...

Concrete usually suffers from deterioration caused by ions and water soaking in the cracks, pores and other defects. We have prepared epoxy solution with carbonyl solvent, where the solvent and epoxy can react with amine (curing agent) to form network. The epoxy solution has remarkable wettability on concrete surface, and it can even permeate into...

Understanding the behavior of bacteria near biodegradable surfaces is critical for the development of biomedical and anti-biofouling materials. By using digital holographic microscopy (DHM), we investigated the three-dimensional (3D) behavior of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. in lipase-containing aquatic environments near dynamic surfaces con...

A method for preparing a main chain scission-type polysilyl (meth)acrylate resin and application thereof. The method comprises: a cyclic monomer, vinyl monomer and vinyl silyl ester monomer are mixed in a solvent at a formulation ratio, then added a composite initiator in a mass percentage of 0.01-5% based on the total amount of the monomers, and r...

Marine biofouling is one of the most challenging problems today. Silicone polymer based coatings with low surface energy and elastic modulus can effectively inhibit or release biofouling. However, their non-repairable property and poor antifouling ability on static conditions limit their applications. Here, we report a self-repairing coating consis...

Antimicrobial coating is of great important in leather finishing. Herein, we report a newly synthesized polyurethane with zwitterionic sulfobetaine side groups and evaluate their performance in the antifouling leather coatings. The microstructure of the synthesized zwitterionic polyurethane (iNPU) films has been examined by Fourier transform infrar...

Degradable polymers with protein resistance can find applications in antibiofouling. We have prepared copolymer of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO), 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DEM) and 3-(methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (KH570) via radical ring-opening polymerization, where MDO, DEM and KH570 make the polymer degradable, protein resi...

Controlled release of antifoulant is critical for marine antibiofouling. We have prepared polyurethane with degradable polyester segments consisting of poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) or poly(1,6-hexamethylene adipate) (PHA) and used it as the release system for organic antifoulants. The degradation rate of the polyur...

Degradable polymers have proven effective for marine anti-biofouling. It is important to improve their performance by optimizing their structures. We have prepared polyurethane with degradable polyester segments in the main chain and hydrolysable poly(triisopropylsilyl acrylate) (PTSA) side chains and used it as the carrier of organic antifoulant (...

Linear Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) with two hydroxyl groups located at the ends of each chain [PEtOx(OH)2] was synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) using 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid as end-capping agent. Further co-polycondensation of PEtOx and poly(-caprolactone) (PCL) led to degradable polyurethane-graft-poly...

Degradable silyl acrylate copolymer: a novel design for self-polishing antifouling coatings

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based coatings are environment-friendly systems for marine fouling release. Yet, they usually exhibit low adhesion to substrate and poor mechanical properties, which limits their applications. We have developed polyurea (PUa) with PDMS as soft segments and 1,6-hexanediamine (HMDA) as hard segments via a polycondensation...

Crystallization of polymer chains confined on a surface greatly influences the surface properties. We have grafted comb-like copolymer consisting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) backbone and semicrystalline poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) side chains on silicon surface and investigated the crystallization of such confined PCL chains upon so...

Polymer carrier is critical for the controlled release of antifoulant in marine anti-biofouling. We have prepared biodegradable polymer blend consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and used it as carrier of organic antifoulant (4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-isothiazolone). Polarizing optical microscope (POM) and differen...

Marine biofouling has caused huge economic loss and serious problems to maritime industries. There is a great demand for environmentally friendly anti-biofouling (AF) technology. Marine natural product has been considered as a promising source of antifouling biocides but so far, the progress in applying marine natural product as effective antifouli...

To effectively control marine biofouling, it is possible to fabricate multi-functional antifouling materials that also incorporate natural products as effective antifoulants. We have prepared biomimetic anti-biofouling coatings by incorporating butenolide (5-octylfuran-2(5H)-one) into self-generating hydrogel (butenolide is derived from marine natu...

Silyl acrylate copolymers are promising materials for marine antibiofouling. However, their structures need optimizing to improve their erosion and mechanical properties. We have prepared copolymer of 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO), tributylsilyl methacrylate (TBSM) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) via radical ring-opening copolymerization. Such poly...

Marine biofouling is a problem for marine industry and maritime activities. We have prepared polyurethane with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) main chains and N-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) maleimide (TCM) pendant groups via a combination of a thiol-ene click reaction and a condensation reaction and studied its properties. The polymer has low surface ener...

Protein resistance is the central issue in marine anti-biofouling. We have prepared poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) based polyurethane with 2-(dimethylamino) ethylmethacrylate (DEM) as pendant groups by a combination of thiol-ene click reaction and condensation reaction. By use of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon...

The effects of ethylene ethyl phosphate (EEP) as a multifunctional electrolyte additive on safety characteristics and electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries are investigated. Based on the flammability test, the self-extinguishing time of the electrolyte with 10% EEP is only less than half of the baseline electrolyte, which indicates t...

We have synthesized poly(ε-caprolactone-co-tert-butyl glycidyl ether) (CL-co-BGE) statistical copolymers using 1-tert-butyl-4,4,4-tris(dimethylamino)-2,2-bis [tris(dimethylamino)phophoranylidenamino]-2Λ5,4Λ5-catenadi(phosphazene) (t-BuP4) as the catalyst. The hydrolysis of the resulting polymers yields amphiphilic poly(ε-caprolactone-co-glycidol) (...

We have investigated a novel approach to introduce zwitterions into polyurethane for the preparation of antibiofouling coating. First, the thiol-ene click reaction between 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol (TPG) is used to synthesize dihydroxy-terminated DMAEMA (DMA(OH)2) under UV catalysis. The product has...

Biodegradable polyurethane with N-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)maleimide (TCPM) pendant groups has been prepared via a combination of a thiol-ene click reaction and a condensation reaction. The TCPM moieties acting as antifoulants are released as the polyurethane degrades in the marine environment. The biodegradation and hydrolyzation of the polyurethane...

We have prepared poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/clay composites by solution mixing. Our studies demonstrate that such a composite has higher degradation rate in seawater and significantly improved adhesion strength in comparison with PCL because the presence of clay decreases the spherulite size of PCL but slightly changes the crystallinity as revealed...

Marine biofouling is a sticky problem. Development of environment-friendly anti-biofouling systems is a challenge. Here, we present a novel polyurethane with poly(-caprolactone) (PCL) segments in the main chain and poly(triisopropylsilyl acrylate) (PTIPSA) side chains, where the former are able to degrade in marine environment due to the attack of...

We have investigated the properties of cellulose diacetate in solution by using laser light scattering. The cellulose diacetate molecules can form micelles and micellar clusters in acetone besides the individual chains. As the concentration increases, the average hydrodynamic radius 〈R h〉 linearly increases, whereas the ratio of gyration radius to...

We have prepared polyurethane with poly(-caprolactone) (PCL) as the segments of the main chain and poly(triisopropylsilyl acrylate) (PTIPSA) as the side chains by a combination of radical polymerization and condensation reaction. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) studies show that the polyurethane can degrade in the presence of...

Marine-derived microbial secondary metabolites are promising potential sources of nontoxic antifouling agents. The search for environmentally friendly and low-toxic antifouling components guided us to investigate the antifouling potentials of eight novel fungal isolates from deep-sea sediments of the South China Sea. Sixteen crude ethyl acetate ext...

We have synthesized poly(l-lactide-co-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) (LA-co-MEO2MA) containing both degradable and protein resistant units via hybrid copolymerization with (1-tert-butyl-4,4,4-tris(dimethylamino)-2,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)phophoranylidenamino]-2Λ5,Λ5-catenadi(phosphazene) (t-BuP4) as the catalyst. Nuclear magnetic resonance...