In this study, we report a facile and versatile approach to the formation of marine antifouling surface coatings. The approach consists of a combined coating of polydopamine (pDA) and tannic acid (TA) and subsequent immobilization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on solid substrates. TA coating of a pDA-coated surface was carried out using iron(III) coordination chemistry, and PEG was immobilized on the TA-coated surface via hydrogen bond formation. Stainless steel and nylon were successfully modified by this approach, and the resulting substrates were used for marine antifouling applications, in which diatom adhesion was significantly inhibited. Advantageously, this approach allowed marine antifouling coatings to be prepared by a simple immersion process under environmentally friendly conditions.

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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