Robust and Degradable PDMS-Epoxy Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces for Sustainable Marine Antifouling

Marine biofouling is a significant issue affecting the long-term stable operation of ships, offshore platforms, and subsea equipment. To address the ecotoxicity and microplastic accumulation issues associated with traditional marine antifouling coatings, this study developed a biodegradable PDMS-epoxy crosslinked network-based Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) marine antifouling coating. This system utilizes the low surface energy of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) segments and excellent structural compatibility with dimethyl silicone oil to achieve stable lubricant retention. Simultaneously, the crosslinked epoxy network imparts good mechanical stability and durability to the coating, with the adhesion strength increasing by 197% compared with that of Sylgard PDMS184. Furthermore, by introducing hydrolyzable ester bonds into the network, the material maintains long-term service stability while possessing a certain degree of environmental degradation capability, thereby reducing the potential microplastic residue risk of traditional silicon-based antifouling materials. The coating demonstrated degradability in artificial seawater under high-speed stirring, exhibiting an average mass loss of approximately 9.28% after 30 days while maintaining good structural integrity. The results show that the prepared SLIPS coating exhibits excellent broad-spectrum antifouling properties, capable of preventing the attachment of more than 95% of typical marine fouling organisms, including bacteria, Chlorella , and conches, thereby effectively protecting the surface from marine biofouling. This work provides a promising strategy for developing environmentally friendly marine antifouling coatings with long-term stability and biodegradability. Download: Download high-res image (276KB) Download: Download full-size image