Slippery liquid-infused surface from three-dimensional interconnecting net structure via breath figure approach and its usage for biofouling inhibition

Optical sensors having transparent windows act as the eyes in marine exploration. However, biofouling is a critical problem to blind them. In this report, transparent glass is used as the substrate to grow robust SiO2 onto the surface via a facile breath figure approach under the temperature of 40 °C. After grafting of long-chain organic molecule, a hydrophobic surface is obtained. The three-dimensional interconnecting net configuration acts as the reservoir for accommodating the lubricant to form the liquid-infused surface. After lubrication with oil phase, SiO2 performs as the transparent medium for light to transmit. Taking diatom as the representative organism, the surface can effectively inhibit biofouling growth. Time-dependent fluorescent images are used to trace the inhibition effect of the liquid-infused surface. Even immersed in seawater for 11 days, the inhibition efficiency can still maintain 96.1%.