Degradable hyperbranched polymer with fouling resistance for antifouling coatings

Abstract 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 main-chains and degradable branching points by using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The copolymerization of butyl methacrylate, vinyl-functional Econea and divinyl-functional poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) yields a degradable hyperbranched antifouling polymer (DHAP). As revealed by 1H NMR, the vinyl conversion linearly increases over reaction time during RAFT polymerization with a final conversion rate above 90 % after 24 h. The branching degree of DHAP increases with the content of PCL segment. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) measurements show the degradation of DHAP is controlled. Antibacterial assays indicate that DHAP coating has good antibacterial activity. Thus, DHAP represents a promising system for antifouling coatings.