Controlled release of newly synthesized NH₂-ZIF-8@BITEP from epoxy resin-based coating for enhanced antifouling and anti-corrosion performance

Epoxy resin coatings are widely used for corrosion protection due to their cost efficiency, strong chemical durability and favorable mechanical strength. Antifouling agents have also been commonly applied to epoxy coatings for further antifouling function. However, due to the lack of reliable control of continuous release of the antifouling agents, the antifouling effect and service life keeps elusive. This study used a zinc-based metal organic framework ZIF-8 as a nanocarrier to prepare a novel antifouling agent NH₂-ZIF-8@BITEP. The antifouling agent has uniform particle size and can effectively kill E. coli and S. aureus. After blending with epoxy resin, the resulting ZB coating effectively achieves contact sterilization, especially the ZB coating containing 20wt%NH₂-ZIF-8@BITEP shows pronounced capability of inhibiting the formation of bacterial biofilm and the adhesion of algae even after 14 days incubation. In addition, the coating shows significantly enhanced corrosion resistance due to the hindering effect of the nanoparticles in the coating. After 7 days of salt spray testing, the ZB coating exhibits the least corrosion occurrence and no decrease in |Z| during EIS testing. The results would give insight into further understanding and potential antifouling and anti-corrosion applications of the newly synthesized antifoulant.