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Supporting Information Figure S1. Representative lateral deflection images (20 µm x 20 µm) in SW as obtained by AFM analysis of PDC (A), PCB5 (B), PCB10 (C), PCB15 (D) and PCB100 (E). Note the difference in z-height of PDC in respect to the other polymer coatings.

Dendritic polyglycerols (PGs) were grafted onto surfaces using a ring-opening polymerization reaction and the fouling-release properties against marine organisms were determined. The coatings were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, ATR-FTIR and stability tests in different aqueous media. A high resistance towards the attachment of different proteins was found. The PG coatings with three different thicknesses were tested in a laboratory assay against the diatom Navicula incerta and in a field assay using a rotating disk. Under static conditions, the PG coatings did not inhibit the initial attachment of diatoms, but up to 94 % of attached diatoms could be removed from the coatings after exposure to a shear stress of 19 Pa.Fouling-release was found to be enhanced if the coatings were sufficiently thick. The excellent fouling-release properties were supported in dynamic field-immersion experiments in which the samples were continually exposed to a shear stress of 0.18 Pa.

Hybrid materials (HMs) offer unique properties as they combine inorganic and organic components into a single material. Here we developed HM coatings for marine antifouling applications using sol-gel chemistry and naturally occurring polysaccharides. The coatings were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, AFM, ATR-FTIR, and their stability was tested in saline media. Marine antifouling and fouling-release properties were tested in laboratory assays against the settlement of larvae of the barnacle Balanus improvisus and against the settlement and removal of the diatom Navicula incerta. Furthermore, laboratory data were confirmed in short-term dynamic field assays in Florida, USA. All hybrid coatings revealed a superior performance in the assays compared to a hydrophobic reference. Within the hybrids, those with the highest degree of hydrophilicity and negative net charge across the surface performed best. Alginate and heparin showed good performance making these hybrid materials promising building blocks for fouling-resistant coatings.

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