Surface plasma Ag-decorated Bi5O7I microspheres uniformly distributed on a zwitterionic fluorinated polymer with superfunctional antifouling property

Abstract A novel superfunctional antifouling film composed of surface plasma Ag-decorated three-dimensional Bi5O7I flower-like microspheres incorporated in a zwitterionic fluorinated polymer (ZFP) fabricated is reported. The Bi5O7I/Ag/ZFP (ABZFP) composite film exhibits excellent diatom anti-adhesion performance and high antibacterial rates for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus of up to 99.62 % and 99.78 %, respectively. This is ascribed to the combination of photothermal catalysis, ion release, and hydration. On the one hand, as a semiconductor, Bi5O7I/Ag, is excited and generates reactive oxygen species (e.g., O2 and OH) under visible light irradiation, and it also possesses good capability for photothermal catalytic antifouling. On the other hand, release of Ag+ and Bi3+ and the hydration layer formed by the resin provide antifouling capability, and thus the ABZFP films are expected to be long-lasting and environmentally friendly antifouling coatings. Thus, the multiple synergistic mechanism of the ABZFP composite film shows promise for potential application in marine antifouling.