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Silicone/Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanocomposite as a self-cleaning antifouling coating material
Mohamed S Selim1,2, Hui Yang1, Feng Q Wang1
1Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science 29 Zhongguancun East Road, Haidian District Beijing 100190 China wangfq@mail.ipc.ac.cn yhuang@mail.ipc.ac.cn.
RSC Advances
|May 11, 2022
Summary
This study developed an ultrahydrophobic silicone nanocomposite coating using silver core-shell nanofillers. The optimized coating (0.5 wt%) demonstrated excellent self-cleaning and antifouling properties, crucial for marine applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Developing advanced antifouling coatings is critical for marine industries to prevent biofouling.
- Silicone-based materials offer potential for fouling release (FR) coatings due to their low surface energy.
- Incorporating nanoparticles can enhance the performance of silicone coatings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of silver core-shell (Ag@SiO2) nanofiller dispersion and micro-nano binary structure on self-cleaning and fouling release properties.
- To prepare an ultrahydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanocomposite as an antifouling coating material.
- To establish the structure-property relationship for optimized antifouling performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanospheres via solvothermal and modified Stöber methods.
- Fabrication of PDMS/Ag@SiO2 nanocomposite coatings using solution casting and hydrosilation curing.
- Characterization of surface properties (water contact angle, surface free energy) and morphology (AFM, SEM).
- Assessment of mechanical properties and antifouling performance against micro-foulants over 28 days.
Main Results:
- Well-distributed Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanofillers (0.5 wt%) resulted in an ultrahydrophobic surface with a water contact angle (WCA) of 156°.
- The optimized nanocomposite exhibited a low surface free energy of 11.15 mN m⁻¹.
- The coating demonstrated effective self-cleaning properties and comparable antifouling performance to commercial FR coatings.
Conclusions:
- The dispersion and structure of Ag@SiO2 nanofillers significantly influence the self-cleaning and fouling release capabilities of silicone-based coatings.
- The developed PDMS/Ag@SiO2 nanocomposite coating shows promising potential as an effective antifouling solution.
- Further research into micro-nano binary structures could lead to enhanced antifouling performance.
