Relevance of the Hydrolysis State of Silyl Acrylate-Based Coatings on Their Antifouling Performance

Silyl (meth)acrylates represent indispensable building blocks for the synthesis of self-polishing copolymers (SPCs), with triisopropylsilyl acrylate (TiPSA) being one of the most important monomers for the fabrication of such coatings. Polymer coatings were synthesized that are based solely on TiPSA via a grafting-through polymerization, and their in situ hydrolysis behavior has been analyzed. For the in situ characterization, captive bubble contact angle (CBCA) measurements were conducted, and the mechanical properties of the different hydrolysis states were analyzed using pendulum hardness measurements. Moreover, the capability of the coatings to absorb water and their stability were gravimetrically investigated using immersion experiments in aqueous media. Based on the results, selected hydrolysis states were challenged against marine organisms using both laboratory and short-term field exposure in the ocean, where a connection between the hydrolysis state and the respective antifouling performance of the coatings could be established.