Multi-applicable, durable superhydrophobic anti-icing coating through template-method and chemical vapor deposition

In this study, a superhydrophobic and anti-icing coating (F-SiO2 coating) for metal surfaces was fabricated through a template method and chemical vapor deposition. The coated surface exhibits excellent repellency to water and ice at a low temperature of -10 °C with a relative humidity of about 85% in a chamber. The F-SiO2 coated surface also presents good anti-icing and deicing performances in both dynamic and static tests. The coating shows an extremely low ice adhesion strength of approximately 14.8 kPa which was reduced by 90% in comparison with the bare surface. In addition, the coated surface shows good stability in friction and chemical resistance tests and retains anti-icing properties after 150 times of icing/deicing cycles. These results indicate that the proposed F-SiO2 coating is a promising candidate for developing practical and durable anti-icing materials for a wide range of applications.