A Liquid Metal-Based Temperature-Responsive Low-Toxic Smart Coating for Anti-Biofouling Applications in Marine...

Titanium alloys have been widely used in marine engineering fields. However, because of high biocompatibility, they are vulnerable to biofouling. In this work, based on the micro-arc oxidation technology and spontaneous galvanic replacement reaction, a temperature-responsive low-toxic smart coating consisting of liquid metal particles is designed to control the release of Ga³⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cu¹⁺ ions in different temperatures. This technology can ensure the full release of active ingredients within the target temperature range, intelligently maintaining the excellent anti-biofouling performance, while saving active ingredients. After being immersed in culture media with Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) for 14 days at 10, 20, and 30 °C, at the optimal activity temperature of 30 °C for SRB, the best sample releases the highest amounts of Ga³⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cu¹⁺ ions, demonstrating a 99.9% bactericidal rate. When the temperature decreases to 10 °C, the activity level of SRB is very low, and the smart coating can also reduce the released ions correspondingly, still with a 97.3% bactericidal rate. The remarkable anti-biofouling performance is attributed to the physical damage and lethal ions interaction. Furthermore, the best sample exhibits good corrosion resistance. This work presents a design route for smart anti-biofouling coatings for temperature-responsive.