Antifouling strategies based on super-phobic polymer materials

Antifouling polymer materials have been extensively explored because of their unique fouling resistance and wide application potentials in antifouling fields. The materials have been tested in many novel application fields based on their controllable special surface wettability. Surface chemical compositions and geometrical structures determine the wettability of the materials. This review firstly classifies the fouling into inorganic fouling, organic fouling, biofouling and composite fouling based on the types of foulants and then introduces the development history of antifouling strategies. After that, the paper summarizes antifouling polymer materials with special surface wettability especially super-phobic surface wettability, including superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, underwater superoleophobicity and superhemophobicity. Based on the different adaptability of special surface wettability to different fouling, this review further discusses the antifouling strategies of super-phobic polymer materials with special surface wettability in different fields. Finally, the potential applications, challenges, and future development pathways of antifouling polymer materials with super-phobic surface wettability are discussed.