Self-Assembly of Antifouling Wavy Taco Shell Arrays Inspired by Hierarchically Wrinkled Shark Scales

Shortfin mako sharks are armored with riblet-like scales, measuring tens to hundreds of micrometers and oriented toward their caudal fins. These well-organized features are known to reduce hydrodynamic drag by regulating boundary layer flow, thereby enabling rapid locomotion and facilitating the removal of attached microorganisms in marine environments. Interestingly, the scales located in the caudal peduncle are superimposed with oriented microwrinkles that promote antifouling performance under low-velocity flow regimes, which guide the design of the antifouling coatings. Bioinspired by shark scales, a self-assembly methodology is developed to engineer hierarchical wrinkle arrays with tunable structural geometries. These architectures induce pronounced anisotropic antiwetting behavior and provide weak microbial anchoring sites, thereby enhancing the efficiency of microbial removal. The influence of structural geometries on the antifouling performance has also been systematically evaluated in this research. It is anticipated that such hierarchically wrinkled structures will provide an environmentally sustainable strategy for manufacturing advanced antifouling coatings applicable to biomedical, marine, and fluid transport applications.