Rational design of robust and transparent superrepellent surfaces for long-term marine antifouling

Abstract

Superhydrophobic surfaces have demonstrated exceptional efficacy in combatting biofouling contaminations of optical devices and equipment in marine applications. However, the fabrication of highly transparent superhydrophobic materials remains a formidable challenge due to the inherent trade-off between surface roughness for superhydrophobicity and optical transparency. Herein, we design a robust and transparent superhydrophobic coating (Si-POSS) embedded silica nanoparticles (200 nm) with fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (F-POSS) and zinc pyrithione (ZPT). The Si-POSS coating exhibits excellent water repellence toward diverse liquids and optical transmittance exceeding 90% in the visible spectrum. Moreover, the Si-POSS coating sustains long-term anti-bacterial (> 99.11%) and anti-algal effects for over 30 days, accompanied by mechanical, chemical, and thermal stability. This research asserts that the Si-POSS coating with outstanding combined characteristics holds significant potential for marine applications, particularly in self-cleaning and antifouling endeavors.