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Porous PEI Coating for Copper Ion Storage and Its Controlled Electrochemical Release
Author(s) -
Elmas Sait,
Gedefaw Desta A.,
Larsson Mikael,
Ying Yanting,
Cavallaro Alex,
Andersson Gunther G.,
Nydén Magnus,
Andersson Mats R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced sustainable systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.499
H-Index - 24
ISSN - 2366-7486
DOI - 10.1002/adsu.201900123
Subject(s) - copper , coating , biofouling , biocide , seawater , electrochemistry , leaching (pedology) , materials science , porosity , chemical engineering , metallurgy , electrode , nanotechnology , chemistry , environmental science , composite material , membrane , organic chemistry , ecology , biology , biochemistry , soil water , soil science , engineering
The use of copper‐based chemicals to prevent biological growth has been widely practiced in the past. However, leaching of the copper has increased concentrations in ports and marinas, posing a risk to marine life and the environment. It is therefore timely to develop a sustainable antibiofouling coating that could replace conventional copper‐based paints. Herein, the use of cross‐linked polyethylene imine (PEI) coated on conducting carbon cloth electrodes as a material that can absorb copper from seawater and allow for controlled electrochemical release of copper as a biocide to prevent biofouling is proposed. The results show that the porous coating can store and release copper ions over multiple cycles by passing only 1 mA cm −2 current density through the electrode in artificial seawater. This could enable a closed‐cycle, copper‐based antifouling coating, i.e., a coating that uses the well‐established biocidal activity of copper, but without any net release to the ocean.