Antibiofouling Slippery Liquid Impregnated Pulsed Plasma Poly(styrene) Surfaces

Abstract

Biofouling is a major global environmental and economic challenge wherein organisms settle on solid surfaces submerged in natural waters. This leads to the spread of invasive marine species around the globe, accelerates surface deterioration through microbially-induced corrosion, and inflates maritime vessel fuel consumption which leads to greater greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, pulsed plasma poly(styrene) nanocoatings impregnated with eco-friendly liquids are produced that yield slippery surfaces through aromatic–aliphatic intermolecular interactions (water droplet contact angle hysteresis and sliding angle values ≈1–2°). The antibiofouling performance of these slippery surfaces is demonstrated using laboratory-based marine bioassays and real-world field trials in freshwater (pond water) and seawater (ocean) environments. Low-cost and substrate-independent pulsed plasmachemical deposition combined with eco-friendly liquid impregnation provides a sustainable approach to tackling environmental biofouling.