Antifouling and Fouling-Release Performance of Photo-Embossed Fluorogel Elastomers

Kommeren Kommeren,Sullivan Sullivan,Ferguson Ferguson,Dale Dale,Bastiaansen Bastiaansen,Guerin Guerin,Clare Clare,Reynolds Reynolds,Lyall Lyall

doi:10.3390/jmse7110419

Kommeren Kommeren, Sullivan Sullivan + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7110419

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Abstract

Oil-infused ‘slippery’ polymer surfaces and engineered surface textures have been separately shown to reduce settlement or adhesion strength of marine biofouling organisms. Here, we combine these two approaches in fluorogel surfaces infused with perfluorinated oils, via a facile photo-embossing method that allows the generation of a micro-scale surface relief structure while retaining the properties of lubricant-infused materials. Testing of these surfaces against a range of marine fouling challenges in laboratory assays demonstrated that when the volume percentage of perfluorinated oil was high, adhesion strengths of attached barnacles and biofilms were low. However, diatoms adhered strongly to test surfaces, highlighting the need to explore different combinations of polymer and oil for such surfaces. Furthermore, the tested surface structures increased settlement and adhesion in the assays, demonstrating the need to optimize any surface structure for specific applications. Nevertheless, the results show the feasibility of combining multiple approaches to create future antifouling technologies.

Highlights

The unwanted attachment and accumulation of organisms on immersed artificial surfaces, referred to as biofouling, is a widespread problem with impacts across multiple sectors [1,2,3,4,5]
Most successful coatings designed to combat marine biofouling have been based on biocidal technologies [7], but their widespread use has resulted in release of toxic compounds, some of which can have negative environmental effects
This study has demonstrated that it is possible to combine two distinct approaches to developing antifouling materials: the creation of surfaces with designed textures, and the production of perfluorinated oil-infused fluoropolymer surfaces

Summary

Introduction

The unwanted attachment and accumulation of organisms on immersed artificial surfaces, referred to as biofouling, is a widespread problem with impacts across multiple sectors [1,2,3,4,5]. Introduced Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) are non-adhesive coatings based on this concept [11,13,14]. These are capable of repelling a range of contaminants or fouling, including ice, blood, and bacteria [12,15,16] and are reportedly highly effective at resisting bacterial adhesion under both static and flow conditions. They appear to have the potential for widespread commercial application [16]

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