Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24098 Kiel, Germany
Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24098 Kiel, Germany.
J R Soc Interface. 2018 Aug;15(145). doi: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0396.
Surfaces with re-entrant topographies can repel liquids even of extremely low surface tension, almost independently of the material's inherent wettability. We show that this topography-based wetting resistance can also be applied to underwater applications, reducing the permanent adhesion of marine hardfouling organisms. Having combined a biofouling assay in the marine environment with microscopic analyses, we demonstrate how a synergistic effect of a soft silicone-based material with a re-entrant mushroom-shaped surface topography strongly increases the fouling release ability of such coatings compared with a smooth control made from the same material. Our coating inhibited the complete wetting of the solidifying glues produced by marine organisms, which resulted in a decreased contact area and, consequently, low adhesion. Our work suggests that topography-induced wetting resistance of surfaces may become a viable approach in preventing permanent adhesion of marine hardfouling organisms.
具有内凹拓扑结构的表面即使在极低的表面张力下也能排斥液体，这几乎与材料固有的润湿性无关。我们表明，这种基于拓扑结构的抗湿性也可以应用于水下应用，减少海洋生物附着的永久性附着。我们将海洋环境中的生物污垢分析与微观分析相结合，证明了柔软的硅基材料与蘑菇状内凹拓扑结构的协同作用如何使这种涂层的防污释放能力比由相同材料制成的光滑对照涂层大大提高。我们的涂层抑制了海洋生物产生的凝固胶的完全润湿，这导致接触面积减小，从而降低了附着力。我们的工作表明，表面的拓扑诱导抗湿性可能成为防止海洋生物附着的一种可行方法。
