Durable Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coating Comprising Micro- and Nanoscale Morphologies and Water-Soluble Siloxane for Efficient Anti-Icing and Deicing

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings offer immense promise for anti-icing and deicing applications. However, achieving long-term passive anti-icing and active deicing in photothermal superhydrophobic coating remains a significant challenge. We introduce a durable photothermal superhydrophobic coating, coprepared from water-soluble polytrimethylsiloxane (PMATF) in synergy with cactus-inspired composite nanoparticles (MPCS), which is composed of MoS2, polydopamine (PDA), Cu nanoparticles, and octadecanethiol (18-SH). The PM-MPCS coating exhibits a maximum water contact angle (WCA) of 171.8° and retains a high WCA after 330 cycles of sandpaper abrasion and 210 cycles of tape peeling. Additionally, the PM-MPCS coating exhibits exceptional photothermal conversion ability. The PM-MPCS films attain a surface temperature of 86.9 °C, displaying a photothermal conversion efficiency of 77.4%. In anti-icing tests conducted at −15 °C, PM-MPCS significantly prolonged the freezing time; the freezing time of a 5 μL water droplet was extended to 43 min. The active deicing performance is similarly effective, with PM-MPCS melting a 5 μL ice sphere in 5.5 min. Furthermore, PM-MPCS exhibits a low ice adhesion strength of 6.0 kPa, enabling effective ice removal even after numerous freeze–thaw cycles. The exceptional anti-icing and deicing performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the composite nanoparticles, which minimize ice penetration and enhance the photothermal conversion capabilities of the particles. These findings underscore the potential of PM-MPCS as a viable candidate for advanced anti-icing and deicing applications across various industries.