POS1-1595
Fluorine-Free Polymer Coatings Based on Plant-Derived Cardanol for Durable Antifouling and Antibacterial Adhesion Resistance
Topic
S1. Polymer Synthesis
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
sungyeon cho (Donga University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Fluorine-free polymer coatings with antifouling and antibacterial adhesion resistance were developed based on plant-derived cardanol. Poly(4-chloromethylstyrene) (PCMS) was prepared by free-radical polymerization of 4-chloromethylstyrene and used as a backbone precursor for introducing cardanol, a plant-derived phenolic lipid obtained from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), through nucleophilic substitution of chloromethyl groups. A series of polymers, PCDN# (# = 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mol%), where # denotes the molar content of cardanol in the side chain, was synthesized. Thin films spin-coated onto glass substrates exhibited high optical transparency, while dip-coating enabled application onto cellulose, paper, cotton, and wood. Preferential surface segregation of the long unsaturated alkyl chains of cardanol progressively reduced surface energy with increasing substitution ratio, allowing PCDN100 to achieve a water contact angle of 100.9° without fluorinated components. The reduced surface energy also suppressed water uptake in cellulose, decreasing the Cobb value from 40 to 12.5 g/m². Antifouling tests using model dyes and household contaminants demonstrated excellent fouling resistance on all substrates, with performance improving as cardanol content increased. In antibacterial adhesion tests, PCDN100 achieved 99.9% inhibition against Escherichia coli and 99.8% against Staphylococcus aureus, while maintaining this anti-adhesion performance for 7 days under biofilm-promoting conditions. The coatings also retained their hydrophobicity and surface integrity under harsh environmental conditions, including extreme pH, elevated temperatures, UV irradiation, simulated marine immersion, and mechanical abrasion. These results demonstrate that PCDN# provides a sustainable fluorine-free coating platform with durable antifouling and antibacterial adhesion resistance, eliminating the need for toxic fluorinated compounds.
