Photothermal superhydrophobic anti-icing surfaces necessitate dynamic thermal regulation

The issue of ice accumulation has been a concern for thousands of years, posing risks to human safety and resulting in significant economic losses. Recently, photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces have emerged as a promising anti-icing technology, capable of preventing ice formation even in extremely cold conditions. However, these surfaces face a critical drawback: overheating under high-temperature and intense solar illumination conditions, which can cause irreversible damage to both the surface material and the internal components. Here, we emphasize the necessity of thermal regulation for photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces and propose a strategy that incorporates phase change materials and thermochromic materials. Phase change materials can achieve temperature control by storing/releasing latent heat, while thermochromic materials can adjust photothermal conversion according to temperature changes. We further present two feasible design schemes that integrate the two materials into photothermal surfaces to enlighten researchers. This perspective will highlight the development direction of future surface anti-icing technology.