2 research outputs found
Progress in biomimetic leverages for marine antifouling using nanocomposite coatings
Because of the environmental and economic casualties of biofouling on maritime navigation, modern studies have been devoted toward formulating advanced nanoscale composites in the controlled development of effective marine antifouling self-cleaning surfaces. Natural biomimetic surfaces have the advantages of micro-/nanoroughness and minimized free energy characteristics that can motivate the dynamic fabrication of superhydrophobic antifouling surfaces. This review provides an architectural panorama of the biomimetic antifouling designs and their key leverages to broaden horizons in the controlled fabrication of nanocomposite building blocks as force-driven marine antifouling models. As primary antifouling designs, understanding the key functions of surface geometry, heterogeneity, superhydrophobicity, and complexity of polymer/nanofiller composite building blocks on fouling-resistant systems is crucial. This review also discusses a wide range of fouling release coating systems that satisfy the growing demand in a sustainable future environment. For instance, the integration of block, segmented copolymer-based coatings and inorganic–organic hybrid nanofillers enhanced the model's antifouling properties with mechanical, superhydrophobic, chemically inert, and robust surfaces. These nanoscale antifouling systems offered surfaces with minimized free energy, micro-/nanoroughness, anisotropic heterogeneity, superior hydrophobicity, tunable non-wettability, antibacterial efficiency, and mechanical robustness. The confined fabrication of nanoscale orientation, configuration, arrangement, and direction along the architectural composite building blocks would yield excellent air-entrapping ability along the interfacial surface grooves and interfaces, which optimized the antifouling coating surfaces for long-term durability. This review provides systematic evidence of the effect of structurally folded nanocomposites, nanofiller tectonics, and building blocks on the creation of outstanding superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning surfaces, and potential antifouling coatings. The development of modern research gateways is a candidate for the sustainable future of antifouling coatings
Bioinspired Graphene Oxide–Magnetite Nanocomposite Coatings as Protective Superhydrophobic Antifouling Surfaces
Antifouling (AF) nanocoatings made of polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS)
are more cost-efficient and eco-friendly substitutes for the already
outlawed tributyltin-based coatings. Here, a catalytic hydrosilation
approach was used to construct a design inspired by composite mosquito
eyes from non-toxic PDMS nanocomposites filled with graphene oxide
(GO) nanosheets decorated with magnetite nanospheres (GO–Fe3O4 nanospheres). Various GO–Fe3O4 hybrid nanofillers were dispersed into the PDMS resin
through a solution casting method to evaluate the structure–property
relationship. A simple coprecipitation procedure was used to fabricate
magnetite nanospheres with an average diameter of 30–50 nm,
a single crystal structure, and a predominant (311) lattice plane.
The uniform bioinspired superhydrophobic PDMS/GO–Fe3O4 nanocomposite surface produced had a micro-/nano-roughness,
low surface-free energy (SFE), and high fouling release (FR) efficiency.
It exhibited several advantages including simplicity, ease of large-area
fabrication, and a simultaneous offering of dual micro-/nano-scale
structures simply via a one-step solution casting process for a wide
variety of materials. The superhydrophobicity, SFE, and rough topology
have been studied as surface properties of the unfilled silicone and
the bioinspired PDMS/GO–Fe3O4 nanocomposites.
The coatings’ physical, mechanical, and anticorrosive features
were also taken into account. Several microorganisms were employed
to examine the fouling resistance of the coated specimens for 1 month.
Good dispersion of GO–Fe3O4 hybrid fillers
in the PDMS coating until 1 wt % achieved the highest water contact
angle (158° ± 2°), the lowest SFE (12.06 mN/m), micro-/nano-roughness,
and improved bulk mechanical and anticorrosion properties. The well-distributed
PDMS/GO–Fe3O4 (1 wt % nanofillers) bioinspired
nanocoating showed the least biodegradability against all the tested
microorganisms [Kocuria rhizophila (2.047%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.961%), and Candida albicans (1.924%)]. We successfully developed
non-toxic, low-cost, and economical nanostructured superhydrophobic
FR composite coatings for long-term ship hull coatings. This study
may expand the applications of bio-inspired functional materials because
for multiple AF, durability and hydrophobicity are both important
features in several industrial applications