Competing with barnacle cement: Wetting resistance of a re-entrant surface reduces underwater adhesion of barnacles

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Abstract

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.

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Petersen, D. S., Kleinteich, T., Gorb, S. N., & Heepe, L. (2018). Competing with barnacle cement: Wetting resistance of a re-entrant surface reduces underwater adhesion of barnacles. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 15(145). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2018.0396

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