A durable and photothermal superhydrophobic coating with entwinned CNTs-SiO2 hybrids for anti-icing applications

• A superhydrophobic coating based on carbon nanotubes-SiO 2 hybrids was prepared. • CNTs-SiO 2 hybrids created a micro-nano hierarchical structure to improve the superhydrophobicity. • The interlocking effect of CNTs-SiO 2 hybrids enhanced the mechanical durability of coating. • Photothermal effect of CNTs could melt ice layer within seconds under laser irradiation. • The superhydrophobic surface exhibited excellent icing-delaying and deicing performances. In this work, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grafted by silica nanoparticles to prepare CNTs-SiO 2 hybrids, which were then incorporated into epoxy matrix to construct a superhydrophobic coating by a facile one-step spaying method. The surface morphology, roughness and wettability of CNTs-SiO 2 /epoxy coatings were tailored by changing the ratios of CNTs to SiO 2 . The best hydrophobicity was achieved when the ratio of CNTs to SiO 2 was 1:3, showing a WCA of 159.3°. The introduction of entwined CNTs-SiO 2 hybrids could not only create a micro-nano hierarchical structure to increase the water repellency, but also offer good mechanical durability of the coating surface against repeated peeling and friction damages, as well as excellent chemical stability under various harsh conditions. Benefiting from the superhydrophobicity of the coating surface and the prominent photothermal conversion capability of CNTs, the CNTs-SiO 2 /epoxy coating could significantly delay the water freezing time, and efficiently melt the ice layer within seconds under laser irradiation.