Robust superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane-carbonaceous nanocomposites as eco-friendly maritime antifouling surfaces

Herein, bioinspired superhydrophobic hierarchical polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites filled with nanosheets of graphene oxide adorned with single-walled carbon nanotubes (GO-SWCNTs) were developed and cured by a catalytic hydrosilation approach. Hybrid GO-SWCNTs nanofillers were created using a facile onephase ultrasonication process. The surface properties, specifically the superhydrophobicity, hierarchical roughness, and surface free energy (SFE), of virgin silicone and the produced PDMS/GO-SWCNTs nanocomposites have been examined. Additionally, the silicone/GO-SWCNT composites' mechanical, durability, and anticorrosive properties were examined. Several gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and fungi strains were applied in a 30-day laboratory experiment to assess the coating systems' efficacy. The uniformly dispersed silicone/GO-SWCNTs (2.0 wt%) nanocomposite surface demonstrated the highest water contact angle (150 degrees +/- 1 degrees), micro/nano-rough topology, lowest SFE (19.6 mN/m), enhanced durability, and FR properties. The welldispersed PDMS/GO-SWCNTs (2.0 wt%) nanocomposite had the lowest biodegradability percentages of 11.9 %, 4.4 %, and 11.39 % for gram-positive, gram-negative, and fungal species, respectively.