Recent Progress of Biomimetic Antifouling Surfaces in Marine

Marine biofouling is defined as the accumulation of living organisms on surfaces submerged in seawater. The growth of aquatic organisms on the man-made surfaces such as ships, buoys, sonar devices, and ocean infrastructures is regarded as a serious problem. Antifouling paints are developed to prevent the growth of biofouling by continually releasing biocides. In recent years, the outstanding antifouling performances discovered from natural creatures have motivated the development of new biomimetic antifouling approaches. In this progress report, the recent development of biomimetic antifouling surface is summarized. The main advantages and drawbacks of these systems are presented along with a brief introduction to their scientific basis. As the potential development of biomimetic coatings is still far from commercialization, some common yet hitherto neglected perspectives are discussed. It is believed that by selecting and combining the most effective antifouling mechanisms from nature, will bring a new era to nontoxic antifouling paints in the near future.