Antifouling Effects of Superhydrophobic Coating on Sessile Marine Invertebrates

Abstract

Biofouling is a significant problem in the aquaculture and marine shipping industries; thus, various antifouling methods have been developed to prevent the resultant economic losses. In the present study, the superhydrophobic surface of a lotus leaf was bio-mimicked to achieve antifouling. Specifically, fabric substrates with and without superhydrophobic coatings on the surface were installed on the Tongyeong yacht in December 2020 (group A) and April 2021 (group B), and the coverage of the attached invertebrates was recorded every month until August 2021. The coverage of solitary ascidians (Ascidiella aspersa and Ciona robusta) and branching bryozoans (Bugula neritina) was lower on the coated substrates than on the non-coated ones, and coating or non-coating was significantly correlated with the extent of coverage. Superhydrophobic substrates with a low surface energy and micro–nano dual structure may be unsuitable for the attachment of larvae. Therefore, superhydrophobic coating is a more effective and simpler method of antifouling for certain taxa than other antifouling strategies. However, the antifouling effect of the superhydrophobic substrate in group A reduced after 5 months from the first installation; thus, the durability of the antifouling coating should be further improved, and solving this problem remains a major task, necessitating further research.

Study on the superhydrophobic coatings with antifouling and anticorrosion properties

“…Taken together, the SiO 2 -GSR has excellent long-term antifouling properties, and superhydrophobicity exerts strong antifouling effects through decrease the adhesion strength of microorganisms by providing a smaller adhesion area. [34][35][36] Anticorrosion property of the coating…”

“…This is due to the self-cleaning properties of superhydrophobic coatings, and this property was attributed to the air layer captured by the rough structure. The air layer as a barrier can efficiently reduce the contact area between the liquid and the coating, [34][35][36] which is not conducive to the growth and adhesion of bacteria. Taken together, the SiO 2 -GSR superhydrophobic coating can prevent the attachment of P. pantotrophus and has antifouling capabilities.…”

A current review on boron nitride nanotubes and their applications

“…BNNTs are a complete package, it has very thermal stability, exceptional chemical resistance along with superhydrophobicity, which altogether cannot be seen in even the ubiquitous CNTs. Non-wetting surfaces have some unique applications such as no-pump droplet transport in microfluidics [107] and antifouling coatings [108]. Wetting behaviour exhibited by a material with a particular chemistry depends on its physical structure.…”

Advanced bioinspired superhydrophobic marine antifouling coatings

“…These examples from nature inspire the development of superhydrophobic coatings and materials in extensive applications, such as drag reduction, antifouling, self-cleaning surfaces, anti-icing coatings, oil/ water separation, anticorrosion purposes, and waterproof textiles. By emulating the structures and properties found in these natural systems, scientists and engineers aim to create functional and efficient superhydrophobic materials for a range of practical applications [102][103][104][105].…”