Fabrication of Slippery Lubricant-Infused Porous Surface with High Underwater Transparency for the Control of Marine Biofouling

Marine optical instruments are bearing serious biofouling problem, which affects the accuracy of data collected. To solve the biofouling problem of marine optical instruments, a novel instance of slippery lubricant-infused porous surface (SLIPS) with high underwater-transparency was designed over glass substrate via infusing lubricant into its porous microstructure fabricated with hydrothermal method. The advantage of SLIPS as antibiofouling strategy to marine optical instruments was proven by comparing its underwater optical and antibiofouling performances with three kinds of samples (hydrophilic glass sample, textured hydrophilic glass sample, and superhydrophobic glass sample). The modification of SLIPS enhances the underwater-transparency of glass sample within the wavelength of 500–800 nm, for the infusion of lubricant with lower refractive index than glass substrate. In contrast with hydrophilic surface, textured hydrophilic surface and superhydrophobic surface, SLIPS can significantly inhibit bacterial and algal settlements, thereby maintaining high underwater-transparency in both dynamic and static seawater. The inhibition of bacterial and algal settlements over SLIPS results from its liquid-like property. The contact angle hysteresis of water over SLIPS increases with immersion time in seawater under different conditions (static, dynamic, and vibration conditions). Both dynamic and vibration conditions accelerate the failure of SLIPS exposed in seawater. This research provides valuable information for solving biofouling problem of marine optical instruments with SLIPS