Mass-producible hydrophobic perfluoroalkoxy/nano-silver coatings by suspension flame spraying for antifouling and drag reduction applications

To exploit marine metal materials with antifouling and drag reduction properties, we constructed hydrophobic perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)/nano‑silver (Ag) coatings onto aluminum substrates by suspension flame spray deposition of PFA/AgNO 3 composites. Silver nanoparticles were formed in situ within PFA coating during the suspension flame spraying. The successful construction of PFA/nano-Ag coatings was revealed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact angle measurements, respectively. The additional silver nanoparticles play the significant role in regulating the sliding angle of the PFA-based coatings. The silver nanoparticles-loaded hydrophobic PFA coatings synergistically inhibited the adhesion of bacteria, while only PFA coatings with lower content of silver display drag reduction property. The simple and cost-effective approach is of great promise in mass-production of antifoulant-loaded hydrophobic coatings on general substrates for potential antifouling and drag reduction applications.