Optimisation of the properties of siloxane coatings as anti-biofouling coatings: Comparison of PACVD and hybrid PACVD–PVD coatings

Plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) siloxane coatings from a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and O2, and hybrid coatings deposited by simultaneous sputtering of silicon and plasma polymerisation of HMDSO + O2 were prepared on glass and steel substrates. The effect of the addition of sputtered silicon was investigated for coatings with different HMDSO/O2 ratios. The microstructure and composition of coatings were affected by the coating parameters used. Silicon content was roughly the same for all coatings; carbon content decreased while oxygen content and surface energy increased with decreasing HMDSO/O2 ratio in hybrid coatings. Hardness and modulus were higher for hybrid coatings and increased with decreasing HMDSO/O2 ratio. Hybrid coatings showed much better scratch and wear resistance than PACVD coatings. All coatings showed good fouling-release performance with the freshwater bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens.