A new synthetic antifouling coatings integrated novel aminothiazole-functionalized ionic liquids motifs with enhanced antibacterial performance

Prohibition of using the organotin-based antifouling coatings by International Maritime Organization (IMO), due to their serious environmental and health impacts, open a new avenue of a challenge for many researchers to search for new tin-free additives for antifouling coatings. In addressing this challenge, we have successfully prepared new ionic liquids-based salicylidene-iminothiazole and benzylidene-bis-iminothiazole Schiff bases (SITSB and BBITSB) to explore their antibacterial and antifouling performances. These novels Schiff bases manifested moderate to excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy against most common marine biofilminducing bacteria. Moreover, incorporation of these bactericidal Schiff bases into the matrix of inert commercial paints has significantly enhanced their antifouling performance as revealed from the field-static immersion study in the Mediterranean. In summary, structural refinement of these aminothiazole Schiff bases along with extensive environmental and toxicity assessments may offer a new generation of promising antifouling additives.