Bio-inspired surfaces for fouling resistance

Fouling exerts numerous negative effects on marine structures, household facilities, and textiles by decreasing efficiency and increasing maintenance costs. Conventional antifouling methods are often single-foulant-targeted, short-lived, and harmful to the environment. In contrast, bioinspired designs offer a sustainable alternative by drawing inspiration from natural antifoulants such as lotus leaves, shark skin, pitcher plants, and fish mucus. These strategies exhibit properties like super-hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, and lubrication. Recent advances include micro/nano-structured surfaces, mucus-like hydrogels, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs), and zwitterionic polymers. To further elucidate the hydrodynamic mechanisms underlying these designs, a simple COMSOL simulation was performed to conceptually illustrate how modeling can complement experimental studies in understanding foulant-surface interactions. This review introduces fouling mechanisms, compares bioinspired strategies in different contexts, and highlights the potential of multifunctional antifouling surfaces in various industrial areas.