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

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., [rad]O₂ and [rad]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.