A robust anti-icing/de-icing and self-healing coating based on efficient photothermal Bi2S3/Ti3C2T nanofillers

The accumulation of ice can lead to various hazards, and currently, there is no suitable coating that can adapt to the low-temperature marine environment, providing anti-icing/de-icing and corrosion-resistant protection for metal surfaces. Here, we propose a multifunctional coating (BSPU) with Bi2S3/Ti3C2Tx as a photothermal filler and polyurethane (PU) as the matrix. Bi2S3/Ti3C2Tx exhibits a photothermal conversion efficiency of 76.13 % and excellent photothermal cycle stability. The PU matrix is composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and Diels–Alder reaction (DA reaction) monomers, providing a smooth, hydrophobic, and self-healing surface. The BSPU coating achieves passive anti-icing and active de-icing performance. Bi2S3/Ti3C2Tx undergoes photothermal conversion to elevate the coating temperature, causing the ice layer to slip off within 300 s at −30 °C. BSPU extends the freezing time of water droplets under illumination to over 1500 s, 6.3 times longer than the freezing time on bare metal substrates. The corrosion resistance of the coating is significantly enhanced due to the "maze effect" provided by the two-dimensional filler. After soaking in a low-temperature environment for 90 d, |Z|0.01 Hz remains around 109 Ω cm2.The heat generated by Bi2S3/Ti3C2Tx promotes the occurrence of DA reversible reactions, enabling the damaged coating to self-heal within 300 s under 808 nm laser irradiation. This work addresses the requirements of hydrophobicity and photothermal-dominated passive anti-icing/active de-icing and corrosion resistance, making it highly promising for applications in low-temperature marine environments.