Novel polybenzoxazine-based arylidene moiety modified cellulose acetate for enhanced antifouling properties

Abstract Marine fouling is a widespread problem in the maritime industry, causing significant damage to equipment and vessels. Polybenzoxazine (PBz) is a resin that is both remarkable and captivating, and it has a wide range of sophisticated uses. Due to their distinctive characteristics, benzoxazines have sparked the interest of scholars globally. However, most benzoxazine resin production and processing depend on petroleum resources, particularly those based on bisphenol A. This study aimed to create new benzoxazine monomers using bio-based raw materials, primarily motivated by the environmental ramifications. The main goal of this study is to synthesize a benzoxazine molecule, specifically (2E,6E)-2,6-bis(3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[e][1,3]oxazin-6-yl)methylene) cyclohexane-1-one, abbreviated as (CHPE), by employing an arylidene base. Later, the chemical was used as a modifier for the cellulose acetate (CA) matrix to create film samples. The primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of these film samples in preventing fouling. The CHPE molecule was produced using a bis(arylidene) cyclohexanone diol and analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques, respectively. The films were fabricated by blending various weight proportions. The composition of the (CHPE-CA) films was determined by FTIR analysis, while their morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal stability of the films was studied using Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). This study investigated the antifouling properties of polymer sheet compositions containing varying amounts of CA at two different processing temperatures, 180 °C and 200 °C and without curing. The results demonstrated the potential of incorporating CA into the polymer matrix to enhance antifouling performance. Among the polymer compositions tested, the 20% CA composition exhibited the highest percentage reduction in fouling at both processing temperatures, suggesting that a small amount of CA can contribute to effective antifouling properties.