| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session BI-MoM |
| Session: | Engineering a Paradigm Shift in Control of Microbes and Fouling |
| Presenter: | Dean Webster, North Dakota State University |
| Authors: | D. Webster, North Dakota State University T. Galhenage, North Dakota State University S. Stafslien, North Dakota State University L. Vanderwal, North Dakota State University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Due to the complexity of adhesion mechanisms of marine life to surfaces, it is becoming apparent that combating biofouling will require coatings having complex surfaces. Specifically, coatings having mixed hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface domains are being shown to be able to mitigate the adhesion of a broader variety of marine organisms than can the silicone elastomer fouling-release coatings. Since it is also desirable to have a coating that can adhere well to a variety of substrates and stand up to occasional cleaning, a tough coating system is needed.
The incorporation of a low surface energy polymer such as a siloxane into a robust coating system such as a polyurethane results in stratification of the low surface energy component to the surface. By chemically binding hydrophilic groups to the siloxane, both functional groups stratify leading to a polyurethane coating having amphiphilic character on the surface. By varying the molecular parameters of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic components, the surface composition can be tuned to achieve a range of fouling-release properties when characterized using a broad variety of marine organisms. Different architectures of the reactive amphiphilic component have been explored including block and graft copolymers as well as dual-functionalized prepolymers.