Laboratory screening of coating libraries for algal adhesion

Abstract

Coatings libraries achieved through a combinatorial chemistry approach, which may generate tens to hundreds of formulations, can be deposited in an array of 12 patches, each approximately 9 cm², on 10 × 20 cm primed aluminum panels. However, existing methods to quantify algal biomass on coatings are unsuitable for this type of array format. This paper describes an algorithm modelled on a probability distribution that quantifies the area of surface covered by a green alga from digital images. The method allows coatings with potential fouling-release properties to be down-selected for further evaluation. The use of the algorithm is illustrated by a set of eight siloxane-polyurethane coatings made using organofunctional poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-PDMS-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL-PDMS-PCL) triblock copolymers along with four PDMS standards which were deposited on one panel. Six replicate panels were seeded with Ulva zoospores which grew into sporelings (small plants) that completely covered the surface. The ease of removal of the Ulva sporeling biofilms was determined by automated water jetting at six different impact pressures. The coverage of the biofilm on the twelve individual formulations after jet washing was quantified from the green colour of digital images. The data are discussed in relation to the composition of the coatings.

Keywords:

• Alga
• biofilm
• biofouling
• combinatorial
• fouling-release
• materials research
• probability distribution
• Ulva

Acknowledgements

The research was supported directly and through a sub-award to JAC and MEC of grants No. 0014-04-1-0597 and No. 0014-05-1-0822 from the US Office of Naval Research to North Dakota State University.