Synthetic Analogue of Butenolide as an Antifouling Agent
Ho Yin Chiang,
Jinping Cheng,
Xuan Liu,
Chunfeng Ma,
Pei-Yuan Qian
Affiliations
Ho Yin Chiang
Department of Ocean Science, Division of Life Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
Jinping Cheng
Department of Ocean Science, Division of Life Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
Xuan Liu
Department of Ocean Science, Division of Life Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
Chunfeng Ma
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510000, China
Pei-Yuan Qian
Department of Ocean Science, Division of Life Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
Butenolide derivatives have the potential to be effective and environmentally friendly antifouling agents. In the present study, a butenolide derivative was structurally modified into Boc-butenolide to increase its melting point and remove its foul smell. The structurally modified Boc-butenolide demonstrated similar antifouling capabilities to butenolide in larval settlement bioassays but with significantly lower toxicity at high concentrations. Release-rate measurements demonstrated that the antifouling compound Boc-butenolide could be released from polycaprolactone-polyurethane (PCL-PU)-based coatings to inhibit the attachment of foulers. The coating matrix was easily degraded in the marine environment. The performance of the Boc-butenolide antifouling coatings was further examined through a marine field test. The coverage of biofouler on the Boc-butenolide coatings was low after 2 months, indicating the antifouling potential of Boc-butenolide.
