Architecture of modified silica resin coatings with various micro/nano patterns for fouling resistance: microstructure and antifouling performance

Abstract

As an environmentally friendly antifouling strategy, a series of textured modified silicone surfaces with different textures, shapes and surface roughnesses were fabricated by mimicking the microstructures of abrasive paper via a simple replication method. The physical and chemical properties of the as-prepared coatings were systematically characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM and contact angle measurements. The antifouling efficacy of all coatings was evaluated by recording the settlement of fouling microalgae, including Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chlorella, in the laboratory. The results indicated that the positive and negative replicas of both 800-grit and 1200-grit abrasive paper with morphology feature sizes larger than algae size encouraged the algae settlement. Only the positive replica of 5000-grit abrasive paper whose morphology feature size was smaller than algae size was effective in inhibiting N. closterium, P. tricornutum and Chlorella, and the reduction ratios were 49%, 75% and 81%, respectively. The positive replica of 7000-grit abrasive paper can reduce the amount of N. closterium and P. tricornutum by 29% and 57%, respectively. But it can't inhibit the settlement of Chlorella. The effect of surface morphology and wettability on the antifouling performance of textured coatings was discussed.