Photothermal synergistic antifouling and high-toughness hydrogel based on Ti3C2Tx-PEG for marine coatings

Abstract

Biofouling of underwater equipment caused by marine organisms is a major problem in the marine industry. Although hydrogel exhibits excellent antifouling properties, its mechanical performance greatly limits its practical application. In this work, a suitable marine antifouling hydrogel (PSM) was designed utilizing a polyethylene glycol–modified MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x-PEG) toughening mechanism and a silica loaded with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (SiO₂@N-CDs) reinforcement strategy to enhance the durability of the hydrogel. The PSM hydrogel exhibited a fracture strength of up to 1.62 MPa, elongation of 1734 %, and toughness of 17.7 MJ/m³. Furthermore, the PSM hydrogel exhibited excellent photothermal antibacterial properties, with antibacterial rates against E. coli and S. aureus reaching 100%. After 180 days of immersion in seawater, the PSM hydrogel morphology remained stable. Because of its long-term durability and effective antifouling properties, our PSM hydrogel can be developed for use in marine ship coatings.