Durable Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coatings with Amorphous-Polymer Composite Structure Enhance Anti-Icing and Environment-Resistant Properties

Photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces, as one of the most promising anti-icing strategies, often suffer from significant performance degradation, such as loss of hydrophobicity and lack of mechanical durability under actual icing conditions, as well as in special environments. Also, under mechanical loading, abrasion exposes the underlying material, which alters the wettability of the surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Here, we prepared a robust photothermal superhydrophobic coating with excellent environmental durability. The amorphous coating acts as an armor structure to resist abrasion, preventing the inner photothermal superhydrophobic filler from being abraded by abrasives larger than the frame size. The results demonstrate excellent water resistance (WCA: 158.2°) and photothermal conversion (1 sun irradiation: surface temperature rises up to 76.6 °C), significant icing delay, and fast ice melting behavior. The anti/deicing behavior is derived from the stable superhydrophobic surface, the excellent photothermal conversion of GO, and the competitive effect of hydrogen bonding between the oxygen-containing functional groups at the edge of GO with water molecules, further improving the anti-icing performance. Furthermore, the reliability of the coating was verified by a comprehensive durability assessment, including resistance to abrasion, acid and alkaline environments, temperature, water impact, and corrosion. This work offers great potential for the fabrication of photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces that are low-cost, efficient, durable, and convenient for large-scale preparation.