title: Effect of anti-biofouling potential of multi-walled carbon nanotubes-filled polydimethylsiloxane composites on pioneer microbial colonization.
abstract: In this paper, two carbon nanotube (CNT) nanofillers, namely the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and the carboxyl-modified MWCNTs (cMWCNTs), were introduced into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix respectively, in order to produce the PDMS composites with reinforced anti-biofouling properties. The anti-biofouling capacity of the silicone-based coatings, including the unfilled PDMS (P0), the MWCNTs-filled PDMS (PM) and the cMWCNTs-filled PDMS (PC), was examined via the field assays conducted in Weihai, China. The effect of different silicone-based coatings on the dynamic variations of the pioneer microbial-community diversity was analyzed using the single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique. The PM and PC surfaces have exhibited excellent anti-biofouling properties in contrast to that of the PDMS surface, with extremely low attachment of the early colonizers, such as juvenile invertebrates, seaweeds and algae sporelings. The PM and PC surfaces can effectively prevent biofouling for more than 12 weeks. These combined results suggest that the incorporation of MWCNTs or cMWCNTs into the PDMS matrix can dramatically reinforce its anti-biofouling properties. The SSCP analysis reveals that compared with the PDMS surfaces, the PM and PC surfaces have strong modulating effect on the pioneer prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities, particularly on the colonization of pioneer eukaryotic microbes. The significantly reduced pioneer eukaryotic-community diversity may contribute to the weakening of the subsequent colonization of macrofoulers.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150006, China; Marine Antifouling Engineering Technology Center of Shangdong Province, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209 China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Marine Antifouling Engineering Technology Center of Shangdong Province, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209 China.
authors.forename: Yanhe
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209, China.
authors.forename: Yongkang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150006, China; School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209, China; Marine Antifouling Engineering Technology Center of Shangdong Province, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, 264209 China. Electronic address: zhangzzbiox@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Zhizhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D057219:Biofouling; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Anti-biofouling; Biofouling; Carbon nanotubes; Diversity; Pioneer microbial communities; Polydimethylsiloxane; Single-strand conformation polymorphism