Robust mussel-inspired coatings for controlled zinc ion release
In a study, Chinese researchers report the synthesis of low-cost but robust mussel-inspired coatings based on polyvinyl alcohol, which could continuously release zinc ions at a high release rate when immersed into artificial seawater.
Although mussel-inspired coatings have been extensively studied, most of them suffer from high-cost preparation, poor mechanical strength and low abrasion resistance, which impede them from practical applications.
Potential candidate for marine antifouling coating
The coating exhibits high mechanical strength, strong adhesion to stainless steel (SS), and excellent anti-abrasion properties. Moreover, a complicated fabrication process is not required for the coating, which makes it a potential candidate for marine antifouling coating.
The study is published in: Journal of Materials Chemistry B – Materials for biology and medicine, Issue 9, 2017.
