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.