Force-responsive antibiofouling strategy based on the ultrasound-controlled piezoelectric effect

Designing antibiofouling coating is one of the most popular strategies for preventing the settlement of marine organisms on ship surface. Although the most classic biocidal coatings are effective, they can cause serious environmental and health problems. In order to improve the antifouling performance meanwhile not compromise the environmental problem, we report a cost-effective, durable and environment-friendly antibiofouling strategy based on the piezoelectric effect in this study. This strategy relies on the piezoelectric response of electroactive β-phase poly(vinylidene fluoride) (β-PVDF) film under ultrasonic stimulation and the release of charges, which subsequently induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to attack microorganisms on the material surface. Furthermore, mechanism investigation confirms that in addition to the ROS effect, the surface potential also exerts an important impact on the antimicrobial behavior of electroactive β-PVDF. As a result, regulating antimicrobial behavior through piezoelectric response can not only kill the bacteria adhering to the material surface, but also enhance the bactericidal activity against planktonic bacteria and the survival rate is only 1.6% (vs control-Ti). An environmental strategy for preventing the settlement of marine organisms is provided through piezoelectric material-regulated antimicrobial behavior under wave force and this finding will offer fresh insights into the design of antibiofouling coatings.