Photothermal self-adaptive PSF-TO/PPy@BN dual-functional epoxy coating: Photothermally enhanced anti-icing and self-healing

This study presented a fabrication protocol for a multifunctional coating integrating photothermal responsiveness, self-lubrication, and self-healing properties. The coating was engineered by encapsulating tung oil (TO) within a polysulfone (PSF) matrix, leveraging the photothermal conversion capability of photothermal fillers to achieve localized thermal activation for on-demand lubricant release and crack repair. The PSF-encapsulated tung oil microcapsules (PSF-TO) and polypyrrole-coated boron nitride (PPy@BN) were uniformly dispersed in epoxy resin, followed by spin-coating or trickle-coating onto substrate surfaces. The coated substrate was thermally cured to form a robust composite film, with its photothermal performance, tribological performance, and self-healing capability systematically evaluated. The coating was able to reach a surface temperature of 83 °C under one sunlight intensity and was able to repair surface scratches within 155 s. At the same time, its delayed icing time can reach 380 s, and under a sunlight intensity, the surface icing can be melted and slipped off within 75 s. This work provided a scalable strategy for extreme mechanical environments, such as marine and aerospace applications. Herein, PSF-TO microcapsules were synthesized via a solvent evaporation method. Subsequently, a photothermal self-healing coating integrating autonomous repair capability and photothermal responsiveness was fabricated by blending the microcapsules with photothermal fillers (PPy@BN). The photothermal self-healing coating provides valuable insights for achieving collision-resilient, icephobic, and de-icing solutions, offering a simple, safe, and effective approach for operationally challenging conditions. • The microcapsules were formed by encapsulating TO within PSF using the solvent evaporation method. • The coating utilized the photothermal effect for localized thermal activation and crack repair. • Under one sun illumination, the coating temperature reached 83 °C and repaired damage in 155 s. • The coating exhibited superior anti-icing/de-icing performance. • The coating exhibited excellent self-healing capability and mechanical durability.