Polymers with high protein resistance have been designed for marine coatings to resist attachment of marine organisms. Different methods and platforms, including self-assembled monolayers, polymer brushes and copolymers, have been applied in an attempt to create an effective antifouling surface. It has been found that betaine-based polymer brushes are among the most nonfouling surfaces to resist protein adsorption. Sulfobetaine polymer brushes were grafted on glass surfaces and show strong resistance to the attachment of green algae, diatoms, and barnacle cyprids. When grafted on a polyurethane substrate, their antifouling performance can be maintained after long-term exposure to complex media. Betaine polymers can be designed based on the main chains or the backbones of the polymers, the linking groups that connect betaine moieties to the backbones, and the spacer groups between the charged groups. Some betaine polymers can be tailored to integrate other antifouling designs, such as immobilizing active agents, self-polishing surfaces, releasing surfaces, and releasing active agents.
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