Construction of Bi/Bi5O7I anchored on a polymer with boosted interfacial charge transfer for biofouling resistance and photocatalytic H2 evolution

Composite engineering has played an integral role in the development of new artificial materials with excellent properties, which has triggered a new revolution in high-performance optoelectronic devices. Herein, a Bi/flower-like structured Bi5O7I/acrylate fluoroboron polymer (AFBP) as a BBFP composite was fabricated in situ. Furthermore, the Bi/Bi5O7I flower system was uniformly distributed on the surface and interior of AFBP that boosted the interfacial charge transfer. The resultant spatial charge separation in the BBBF composite ameliorated via SPR and piezoelectric effect significantly enhanced the photocatalytic H2 evolution (835 μmol h−1 g−1), 8.26-fold that of Bi5O7I. In addition, the non-biological toxicity and self-cleaning function of the composite coating were proved from the regular growth rate of Nitzschia closterium and higher efficiency of the TOC removal. Furthermore, it exhibited an excellent diatom anti-settling performance, which was ascribed to the self-renewal process and hydrogen evolution, which formed a gas barrier between the substrate surface and fouling organisms. The self-renewed surfaces of AFBP can be gradually peeled off to create a piezoelectric effect without external mechanical disturbance. Similarly, compared to the antifouling methods of electrochemical hydrogen production, composite coatings can achieve outstanding antifouling performance without consuming extra energy. The strategy will provide a potential application in marine engineering in the future.