Fouling Inhibition by Replenishable Plastrons on Microstructured, Superhydrophobic Carbon‐Silicone Composite Coatings

Abstract Superhydrophobic surfaces are known to resist diatom and bacteria adhesion if stable air layers are formed underwater (known as a plastron). However, most preparation techniques to obtain superhydrophobic surfaces need sophisticated chemical treatments and/or complicated chemical procedures. Here a 3D printing technique is used to create different molds for polymer casting. A conductive graphite‐carbon black‐silicone composite mixture is developed to fabricate different polymer surface casts from these molds. The obtained surfaces exhibited contact angles >145°, which led to a plastron formation on the surfaces underwater, and areas with intact plastrons protected the samples from diatom attachment. Due to the conductivity of the coatings, it is possible to replenish the plastrons by heating the surfaces.