Versatile, tannic acid-mediated surface PEGylation for marine antifouling applications

In this study, we report a facile and versatile approach to the formation of marine antifouling surface coatings. The approach consists of a combined coating of polydopamine (pDA) and tannic acid (TA) and subsequent immobilization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on solid substrates. TA coating of a pDA-coated surface was carried out using iron(III) coordination chemistry, and PEG was immobilized on the TA-coated surface via hydrogen bond formation. Stainless steel and nylon were successfully modified by this approach, and the resulting substrates were used for marine antifouling applications, in which diatom adhesion was significantly inhibited. Advantageously, this approach allowed marine antifouling coatings to be prepared by a simple immersion process under environmentally friendly conditions.