The exceptional mechanical properties of the byssus—the fibrous holdfast of mussels that provides underwater adhesion—have potential applications in medicine and technology. The catechol–Fe3+–catechol interaction underlies the unique properties of mussel byssus and has emerged as a tool for developing functional hybrid materials such as pH‐responsive, self‐healing gels. Herein, the construction of functional alginate (Alg) film on a solid substrate inspired by mussel byssus is reported. The approach consists of spin‐coating‐assisted deposition of Alg catechols onto a solid substrate and their subsequent crosslinking via catechol–Fe3+–catechol interactions. This yields robust and multilayered Alg films that are resistant to protein adsorption and suppress bacterial adhesion. This method can be used to create antibacterial films for coating implanted medical devices.

We report an effective and versatile approach to control marine fouling on artificial surfaces based on specific chemical interactions found in marine mussels. The approach consists of mussel-inspired polydopamine coating, spin-coating-assisted deposition of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) catechols, and their cross-linking via catechol-Fe-catechol interactions. Using this approach, multilayered PEG films that were highly resistant to marine diatom adhesion were successfully constructed on various substrates, such as stainless steel, nylon, titanium oxide, and silicon oxide. We believe that our results will provide a basis for the construction of a marine antifouling agent that can be applied by a large variety of industries owing to its applicability to different types of substrates and stability under marine environments.

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The protective coating on mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) byssus has attracted considerable research interest because of its excellent mechanical properties such as hardness and extensibility. These special properties are known to be highly related with specific interactions between mussel foot protein-1 and metal ions. In particular, the complexation between catechols in mfp-1 and iron(III) has been identified as a key interaction. This finding has given opportunities for pursuing promising applications. Herein, we report that emulating the properties of the mussel byssus cuticle provides an important platform for developing reversible layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, an advanced technique for surface modification. LbL films were constructed on solid substrates by sequential immersion of substrates into solutions containing iron(III) and catecholic compounds. The thickness of the LbL films was effectively controlled by increasing the immersion steps, and the reversibility of the LbL deposition was demonstrated by addition of a chelating agent.

The control of biofouling, which is the unwanted adsorption of biomolecules and organisms on solid surfaces, is a prerequisite for wider applicability of the functional materials that are currently being used in biomedical industries. One of the frequently used methods for controlling biofouling is the use of surface coatings with antifouling materials. Herein, fucoidan, which is a marine-derived polysaccharide, is reported as a new type of antifouling material that is safe and broadly applicable. Fucoidan is conjugated with catechols, which are known to act as adhesives for grafting functional molecules onto solid substrates. Fucoidan catechol (FD-C) is subsequently utilized for robust fucoidan coatings of solid substrates, and the FD-C-coated surfaces show excellent antifouling capability for fouling organisms, including platelets and bacteria. The FD-C coating is also confirmed to be nonirritating upon skin contact, demonstrating its potential use in public places for inhibiting contagions.

The non-biofouling properties of a zwitterionic sulfobetaine polymer surface were easily made attractive to bioentities (e.g., proteins and cells) by metal-polyphenol coating, and spatio-selective functionalization of the zwitterionic polymer surface was achieved by using a soft lithographic technique.

The control of marine biofouling has gained significant attention because the uncontrolled adhesion of marine organisms onto synthetic surfaces leads to serious problems. Here, we demonstrate a facile method to inhibit the adhesion of marine organisms using the sulfated polysaccharide, heparin. Heparin was conjugated with an adhesive molecule, catechol, and the resulting adhesive heparin was used as a surface coating for stainless steel, a material commonly used for marine vessels. Immersion of stainless steel surfaces in a solution of adhesive heparin resulted in a stable heparin coating. The marine antifouling property of the surface was confirmed using marine diatom adhesion assays, which revealed that the adhesive heparin coating reduced diatom adhesion by ~75%, as compared with untreated surfaces.

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