GRAPHENE COATING AGAINST MARINE BIOFOULING!!!

Biofouling is the accumulation of unwanted biological organism on surfaces, as found in medical, marine, and industrial applications.

Biofouling majorly affects the naval industry. It accelerates metal corrosion and affects the performance of pipelines which in turn costs billions of dollars to the maritime sector and naval forces throughout the world. 

The traditional method to control the problem of fouling is to apply antifouling (AF) coatings. However, most of these coatings contain harmful inorganic (copper) and organic (isothiazolone) biocides which pose a significant threat to the environment.

Dr. Rosenhahn and the team of researchers from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany reported Graphene-based environmentally acceptable solutions to overcome the problem of biofouling. 

Graphene is a promising solution to marine coatings because of its incredible mechanical strength, antibacterial property, and lightweight. 

The team reported the antifouling property of Laser-induced graphene (LIG) against Cobetia marina bacteria. 

According to their study LIG can be easily generated on any surface in a cost-efficient manner and can actively eliminate bacterial viability. 

Indeed, Graphene coatings seem to be a potential solution against marine biofouling.

inca.