Bioinspired antifouling Fe-based amorphous coating via killing-resisting dual surface modifications

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 819
• Main Authors: Li, Yu, Zhang, Ling-Yu, Zhang, Cheng, Zhang, Zhan-Rong, Liu, Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 17.01.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/301/1023; 639/301/357; 639/301/54; Antifouling substances; Biofouling; Bovine serum albumin; Coatings; Copper; Corrosion; Fibers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrophobic surfaces; Marine environment; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04746-y

Fe-based amorphous coatings with outstanding corrosion resistance are promise for marine applications. However, these coatings encounter a great challenge of biofouling in marine environments. Inspired by the unique micro-nano hierarchical structure of shark skin with excellent antifouling properties, in this paper, we construct a bioinspired Fe-based amorphous coating with killing-resisting dual-effect via proper surface modifications, i.e., the modification with micro-patterned nanostructured Cu 2 O fibers (killing effect), followed by the modification with superhydrophobic surface (resisting effect). As a result, the modified amorphous coating exhibits impressive antifouling properties, achieving 98.6% resistance to Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima, 87% resistance to Bovine serum albumin protein and 99.8% resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa , respectively. The remarkable antifouling performance is attributed to a synergistic antifouling mechanism from both resisting effect and killing effect, wherein the superhydrophobic surface provides a barrier to resist protein adsorption, while the patterned nanostructured Cu 2 O fibers supply Cu + ions to kill bacterial cells. In addition, the modified amorphous coating also exhibits excellent mechanical robustness, which ensures the durability of the Fe-based amorphous coating in practical services. This work may promote the development of new durable metal-based coatings integrated with anti-fouling and anti-corrosion properties.