BIT-Triazine Acrylate Resins as High-Performance Sustainable Coatings for Marine Antifouling Applications

This study presents the rational design and performance evaluation of eco-friendly BIT-triazine acrylic resins for marine antifouling applications. Two monomers were synthesized using cyanuric chloride as a core scaffold, incorporating the effective biocide 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT) and a polymerizable methallyl alcohol group. A total of 22 copolymers were prepared via copolymerization with acrylic esters and laboratory-synthesized functional monomers. Their chemical structures were confirmed by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Hydrolytic degradation tests revealed that polymers containing zinc monomers showed the highest contact angle change (Δθ > 20°), while those with heterocyclic monomers exhibited the fastest surface erosion rates (0.0138 mg/cm2/day), indicating tunable degradation behavior. Biological assays demonstrated excellent antifouling performance: polymers with pyridin-2-yl acrylate achieved algae inhibition rates of 94.47–99.93% and antibacterial rates of 98.61–99.69% against various marine strains. Importantly, these polymers exhibited low or negligible toxicity toward mussels and barnacle larvae. In a 90 day marine field test, all resins showed a strong antifouling efficacy, particularly those containing zinc or heterocyclic monomers. This work establishes a modular design strategy for multifunctional antifouling resins that are adaptable to diverse marine environments, including ships, aquaculture systems, and submerged infrastructure.