Transparent Polymer‐Ceramic Hybrid Antifouling Coating with Superior Mechanical Properties

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‐functionalized silanes, and the latter is prepared via the reaction of zirconium alkoxide with epoxy‐functionalized silanes and zwitterionic silanes. Such a hybrid coating is transparent (>99.5% transmittance) and exhibits a combination of polymeric and ceramic characteristics, namely, it has not only high hardness (7–9 H) and adhesion (≈3 MPa) to substrates but also good flexibility (≤10 mm bending diameter). The presence of the zwitterionic group allows the coating to have excellent oil repellency and fouling resistance. The effects of composition and structure on the mechanical properties and antifouling performance are investigated. This study aims to develop antifouling coatings to be used in foldable displays, optical sensors, and biomedical facilities.