Poly(d-glucose carbonate)-Based Crosslinked Networks for Renewable and Degradable Coatings

Given growing concerns with plastic pollution, including microplastics in aquatic environments, the development of sustainable materials has been spotlighted. Antifouling coatings are one of the critical sources for microplastics that can persist for excessively-long time periods and result in subsequent stress to the environment. Therefore, there is a growing shift towards utilizing naturally-sourced feedstocks for the production of degradable polymers. To meet this requirement, glucose-derived polycarbonates containing labile carbonate linkages are suitable candidates for constructing diverse functional materials with the ability to degrade into natural products, including glucose and ethanol. In this work, a series of degradable poly(α-d-glucose carbonate)s (PGCs) were developed for antifouling applications through ring-opening polymerization of d-glucose-derived cyclic carbonates. Further, post-polymerization modifications of PGCs were conducted to introduce increased hydrophilicity and structural complexities. The modified PGCs were cast on glass substrates to afford the antifouling coating systems. Physiochemical properties of PGCs were characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, <i>etc</i>. The surface characteristics of these coatings were investigated by using atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. The antifouling properties of the coated surfaces were tested against a variety of marine organisms. A composition-structure-topology-morphology-property relationship is achieved through comparison of the surface properties and characteristics of different PGC-based coatings, which further leads to the optimal design towards challenging conditions.