Characterization of Physical and Chemical Properties of Marine Bioadhesives from Living Organisms and Hydrated Biofilms

摘要

The grant funded Dr. Wetherbee's sabbatical at the University of Birmingham. The results of the study show that diatoms stick more strongly to hydrophobic PDMS than a hydrophilic model surface like glass, and this is reflected in a greater interaction energy between individual adhesive strands and PDMS. Thus, these results correlate well with the field observation that PDMS foul-release coatings often fail to diatom slimes. As many antifouling coatings use hydrophobicity as a major deterrent to fouling, this strategy alone may not work for diatoms, particularly over time. Rather, this may be a preferred surface for these organisms and additional measures will be necessary to prevent their adhesion.