Fish Skin Inspired Scale Armored Sliding Surfaces

Abstract

Hard scales in scaly fish species ensure the structural and functional integrity of the inner skin and body, even when subjected to various types of external forces. Mucus and oil secreted from the inner layer of the fish skin to the surface exhibit resistance to a wide range of liquids, maintaining the antifouling properties of the fish skin surface. Inspired by these biological structures, ultra-sturdy and durable scale-armored-sliding surfaces (SASS) were fabricated in this study using femtosecond laser electrodeposition (FED). In the FED method, a scaly structure is grown from the substrate across a sliding layer to form an SASS. The unique scale-armored structure offers protection against impact and abrasion while maintaining the performance and integrity of the structure. The mechanical sturdiness of the SASS improved by four orders of magnitude compared to that of the conventional antifouling surface. In addition, the SASS exhibited remarkable chemical durability, excellent hydraulic pressure resistance, liquid repellency, and good corrosion resistance based on characterization using various methods. FED enables the preparation of SASS on several materials, including Cu and Al and more. SASS fabricated using FED has great potential for the application of antifouling surfaces in extremely harsh environments.