Molecular Interaction Mechanisms Between Lubricant‐Infused Slippery Surfaces and Mussel‐Inspired Polydopamine Adhesive and DOPA Moiety

Abstract

Lubricant‐infused slippery surfaces have recently emerged as promising antifouling coatings, showing potential against proteins, cells, and marine mussels. However, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular binding behaviors and interaction strength of foulants to these surfaces is lacking. In this work, mussel‐inspired chemistry based on catechol‐containing chemicals including 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and polydopamine (PDA) is employed to investigate the antifouling performance and repellence mechanisms of fluorinated‐based slippery surface, and the correlated interaction mechanisms are probed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Intermolecular force measurements and deposition experiments between PDA and the surface reveal the ability of lubricant film to inhibit the contact of PDA particles with the substrate. Moreover, the binding mechanisms and bond dissociation energy between a single DOPA moiety and the lubricant‐infused slippery surface are quantitatively investigated employing single‐molecule force spectroscopy based on AFM (SM‐AFM), which reveal that the infused lubricant layer can remarkably influence the dissociation forces and weaken the binding strength between DOPA and underneath per‐fluorinated monolayer surface. This work provides new nanomechanical insights into the fundamental antifouling mechanisms of the lubricant‐infused slippery surfaces against mussel‐derived adhesive chemicals, with important implications for the design of lubricant‐infused materials and other novel antifouling platforms for various bioengineering and engineering applications.