Sticky tubes co-assembled by functionalised diphenylalanine and polydopamine nanoparticles form biocompatible antifouling coating†

Abstract

The persistent challenge of biofouling, driven by the accumulation of microorganisms and biological residues on surfaces, undermines operational efficiency and safety across multiple industries. Functionalized peptide based biocompatible and supramolecular coating can provide a substantial solution to this crucial issue. This present study describes the formation of polydopamine-comprised sticky tubes through the co-assembly of an antifouling peptide P1 (FF–PFB) and Polydopamine Nanoparticles (PDA NPs) with an adhesive catechol moiety. To overcome the synthetic complications associated with the attachment of adhesive L-DOPA or dopamine with antifouling peptides, we have employed a simple co-assembly strategy. These co-assembled sticky tubes form a stable, biocompatible coating on desired surfaces (glass and aluminium) and resist fouling. The design consists of a diphenylalanine-based antifouling peptide covalently coupled with pentafluoro benzaldehyde (PFB), which could self-assemble into a stable functional coating through the adhesive catechol moiety of PDA NPs. This functional coating effectively resists bacterial and protein adhesion. These sticky tubes coated desired surfaces (glass and aluminium) exhibit excellent antifouling activity against both tested Gram (+)ve (S. aureus) and Gram (−)ve (E. coli) bacterial strains. More importantly, this simple co-assembly and drop-coating method has significant promise, primarily attributed to its simplicity of operation, which reduces production costs and expands the potential for widespread commercialization. This study not only contributes to the fundamental understanding of the antifouling process but also offers a practical and sustainable solution to the challenges caused by biofouling. Our findings, achieved through the simple and effective co-assembly strategy with two different functional components, pave the way for developing promising antifouling materials with broad applications in industries where effective biofouling resistance is crucial.