Spray-Coated Superhydrophobic Overlayer with Photothermal and Electrothermal Functionalities for All-Weather De/anti-icing Applications

Abstract

High-performance de/anti-icing overlayers which can be deposited on diverse surfaces offer great potential in many industrial settings and daily life, yet a versatile overlayer applicable to all-weather conditions (high humidity, low temperature, raining, snowing, etc.) is in high demand for practical applications. This study presents the fabrication and application of a superhydrophobic overlayer with a bioinspired hierarchical surface which additionally possesses photothermal and electrothermal functionalities, so it can operate as a de/anti-icing layer in extreme environments. The overlayer, with a papilla-like microstructure similar to that of a lotus leaf, features polydopamine-decorated layered basic zinc acetate microparticles distributed in the framework of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Specifically, the overlayer is superhydrophobic, and its capability of suppressing the condensation of water droplets and growth of ice crystals is verified by both in situ environmental scanning electron microscopy observations and freezing experiments. Moreover, the overlayer can be warmed up to 74 and 105 °C under the excitation of sunlight and direct current bias, respectively, which is sufficiently high for deicing in severe weather. It is worth mentioning that the overlayer is produced by a spray-coating technique; therefore, it is suitable for large-scale deployment on arbitrary substrate materials. The findings provide insights into a new strategy for engineering multifunctional overlayers and can lead to expanding applications of composite coatings.

A Composite Superhydrophobic, Photothermal Coating by Modified Carbon Nanotubes and the Study of Its Anti‐Icing/Deicing Behavior

“…The S-C coating was immersed for 12 h in a solution with 3.5 wt% NaCl or water solutions of different pH values (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) or temperatures (15-65 °C). Then, the coating was taken out and dried, and its contact and sliding angles were assessed.…”

“…Meanwhile, having ice on critical parts of the hull or weapons could reduce the safety of the ship. [6][7][8][9][10] Therefore, the hazards caused by icing problems must be urgently solved. Various efficient deicing methods, such as deicing fluid, air heating system, electric deicing, and memory alloy deicing, have been developed to solve the ice accumulation problem.…”

Flexible Grid Graphene Electrothermal Films for Real-Time Monitoring Applications

“…By employing flexible electrothermal films, uniform heating can be achieved on components, providing sufficient heat to prevent ice formation and rapidly thaw previously frozen areas. The trend is to search for flexible electrothermal films that can achieve low working voltage, high steady-state temperature, and good electrical heating and mechanical stability. − …”

Efficient Anti-Icing of a Stable PFA Coating for Wind Power Turbine Blades

“…31 The spraying process, which can be executed by unmanned aircraft, is considered suitable for preparing superhydrophobic coatings on wind turbine blade surfaces due to its cost-effectiveness, ease of preparation, and adaptability to curved surfaces and high altitudes. Fei et al 32 utilized a simple spraying method to prepare a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs)-LBZApoly(dopamine) (PDA) photothermal coating, which exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity. However, the cost of use of MWCNTs is high, and the electrothermal coating process consumes high energy and is complex.…”