Simulation-Guided Preparation of Copper Chalcogenide Nanoparticle-Based Transparent Photothermal Coating with Enhanced Deicing Performance

In this investigation, transparent photothermal coatings utilizing plasmonic copper chalcogenide (Cu2–xS) nanoparticles were designed and fabricated for the deicing of glass surfaces. Cu2–xS nanoparticles, chosen for their high near-infrared (NIR) absorption and efficient photothermal conversion, were analyzed via finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations to optimize nanoparticle morphology, thus avoiding costly trial-and-error synthesis. FDTD simulations determined that Cu2–xS nanorods (Cu-NRs) with an optimal aspect ratio of 2.2 had superior NIR absorption. Guided by FDTD simulations, the composite coating composed of Cu-NRs in clear acrylic resin paint was brush-coated to glass, achieving 62.4% visual transmittance and over 95% NIR absorbance. Photothermal conversion tests exhibited a significant temperature increase, with the coating reaching 65 °C under NIR irradiation within 6 min. The dynamic deicing process of ice beads on the coating at −20 °C completed within 220s, in contrast to the frozen state on glass coated with clear acrylic resin paint. Furthermore, heat transfer simulations in COMSOL illustrated melting initiation at the ice-coating interface and subsequent progression through the ice layer. This simulation-driven synthesis method and photothermal testing offer a design framework for the fabrication of photothermal deicing coatings with applications for automobiles, buildings, and aircraft in cold environments.