［Objective/Significance］ With increasingly stringent environmental regulations andgrowing demands for marine ecological conservation，copper-free self-polishing antifouling coatingshave become a research hotspot for marine biofouling control. Traditional copper-based coatings areincreasingly restricted due to issues such as low copper ion utilization efficiency，ecological toxicity， and induced substrate corrosion.［Analysis/Discussion/Progress］Recent advancements in copper-free antifouling coatings were systematically reviewed in this article，three main antifouling mechanisms including regulation of surface physical properties，interference with biological perception，and the controlled release of environmentally friendly antifoulants were mainly discussed. The applications ofnovel antifoulants derived from natural products（e. g.，capsaicin，camptothecin） and synthetic compounds（e.g.，butenolide，medetomidine）were introduced，and the performance optimizations forzinc/silyl acrylate resin systems and organic fluorine/silicone-based low-surface-energy coatings wereanalyzed. Furthermore，the advantages and challenges of biocide-free coatings were summarized.［Conclusion/Prospect］ Copper-free antifouling coatings showed significant potential in environmental compatibility and long-term antifouling performance，offering a promising direction for the development of sustainable marine antifouling technologies.
