New kind of bio-based antifouling coating
Researchers describe the fabrication of an antifouling coating based on chitosan-melanin hybrid nanoparticles as sustainable and antimicrobial surface.
Researchers have developed a very effective, completely biocompatible, cost-effective and ecofriendly method for antifouling purposes. Melanin nanoparticles and chitosan nanoparticles were isolated from sepia ink (Sepia Pharaonis) and Penaeus merguiensis and a chitosan-melanin hybrid nanoparticles complex was synthesised. The result of FTIR showed that a new band between chitosan and melanin nanoparticles was in the absorption range of 1633 cm−1.
Effective results
The MIC of chitosan-melanin hybrid nanoparticles was observed against E. coli (1.56 μg/mL) and S. aureus (0.871 μg/mL). The field immersion was evaluated in natural seawater, in different concentration (3, 2, 1 and 0.5 % wt) of chitosan-melanin hybrid nanoparticles, for 3 month. The most successful and effective results were observed for the panel with 3 wt% chitosan-melanin hybrid nanoparticles, which had lowest weight (28 g) of biofouling.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 174, January 2023.
