Photothermal and superhydrophobic composite coatings with sandwich and interlocking structure for effective anti-icing and de-icing

The accumulation of ice has brought so many troubles to our daily life and production. To achieve more efficient and environmentally friendly anti-icing and de-icing, combining active and passive methods is an effective strategy for ice prevention and removal. In this study, low-cost and widely available black carbon (BC) and versatile biomimetic adhesion polydopamine (PDA) were selected as photothermal conversion ingredient. Utilizing a simple stirring process and interfacial polymerization, the superhydrophobic photothermal fabric with sandwich structure was obtained. The presence of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and BC/PDA mixed intermediate layer allows for more efficient absorption of solar radiation, facilitating rapid heat conduction and accumulation. Under about 1 Sun illumination, the coatings can reach a maximum surface temperature of 95.6 ± 2 °C. Moreover, the exceptional hydrophobicity of the coatings can help minimize the pollutants' adhesion, decrease the nucleation sites and prolong the time before ice formation. As a result, the coating exhibited a freezing time of 2.8 times slower than that of the original fabric. Under 1 Sun illumination, it took about 53 s for sliding off the surface. The de-icing time is one-eighth of that of the bare substrate. More importantly, the coating also exhibited excellent mechanical, chemical and cycling stability, making it promising for practical de-icing applications.