Surface Forces against Biofouling

Polymer-based “non-stick” coatings are promising as the next generation of effective, environmentally-friendly marine antifouling systems by minimizing the adsorption of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). However, design and development of such systems are often impeded by the poor knowledge of polymer-mediated interactions of biomacromolecules with the protected substrate. In this talk, we will present theoretical predictions of surface forces – electrostatic, van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions – that play an important role in biomacromolecular adsorption. The relevance of theoretical results for practical control of the EPS adsorption will also be discussed.