Abstract
Pure Zn coatings easily lose their protective performance after biofouling because they have no antibacterial effect under visible light. In this study, we fabricate a new antibacterial Zn composite coating using electrodeposition to couple Fe3+-doped alkalized g-C3N4 (AKCN-Fe) into an existing Zn coating and show that the AKCN-Fe enhances antibacterial property of the Zn coating under visible light. We attribute this enhancement to the high photocatalytic performance, high loading content, and good dispersion of AKCN-Fe. In addition, the photocatalytic antibacterial mechanism of the composite coating is supported by scavenger experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, suggesting that superoxide () and hydroxyl radical (·OH) play main and secondary roles, respectively.