Transparent, solvent-free, and pressure-tolerant antifouling coatings via molecular nanocomposite engineering

Traditional solvent-based antifouling coatings face critical limitations including application onto miscible organic substrates and volatile organic compound (VOCs) pollution. Herein, this work presented a solvent-free, transparent antifouling coating through room temperature vulcanization, based on a strategy of molecularly engineered nanocomposite networks. This strategy utilizes hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HO-PDMS-OH) as functional segments to enable dynamic liquid repellency, isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (IPTS) and 3-(2-aminoethylamino) propylmethyldimethoxysilane (AEAPS) as dual cross-linkers for rapid curing and robust network, and hydrophobic nano-SiO2 as reinforcing fillers for anti-fouling and mechanical robustness. The coating exhibited low VOC release through solvent-free processing, high visible-light transmittance (91% at 500 nm), and broad-spectrum repellency with excellent durability against abrasion/chemical exposure/long-term oil immersion. This unique coating strategy makes it possible for the ready application of antifouling technology onto heat-sensitive, solvent-sensitive, and flexible substrates such as flexible display devices. This work establishes an eco-friendly paradigm for multifunctional protective coating through molecular nanocomposite engineering.