Anti-Biofouling and Healable Materials: Preparation, Mechanisms, and Biomedical Applications

Preventing biofouling is challenging for a wide range of biomedical applications. Although materials with good anti-biofouling properties are reported, their antifouling functions are readily lost when detachments or scratches occur through physical damage and chemical degradation by water, oxygen, or possible catalytic ions in water containing reactive environments. Consequently, it is important to develop durable anti-biofouling materials with healing abilities. This review summarizes the important developments in five kinds of anti-biofouling materials categorized according to healing mechanisms and material properties in the recent five years, namely structural rearrangement-, reaction-, ionic bond-, and hydrogel-based healing materials, as well as other healable antifouling materials. The healing mechanisms and potential biomedical applications of these healable anti-biofouling materials are emphasized.