A superhydrophobic Fe₃O₄@MSN-PDMS based composite coating with icephobicity, long-term durability and self-healing property for anti-/de-icing

Ice formation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in various fields and often leads to catastrophic consequences. Despite numerous anti-icing coating strategies have been exploited, there are still multiple roadblocks in the way of developing anti-icing coatings with durable and effective anti-/de-icing properties. In this work, Fe₃O₄ was coated in-situ with mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN), in which a high dosage of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was then loaded. As-obtained core-shelled Fe₃O₄@MSN-PDMS aggregates were incorporated into silicone resin to construct an NIR responsive anti-/de-icing coating via spraying method. The as-prepared coating exhibited superhydrophobicity (156.7° of water contact angle) and delayed icing time to 412 s under −20 °C. Besides, the prepared coating could heat and release PDMS to constitute a PDMS/water double-layer lubricant under NIR irradiation, significantly reducing ice adhesion strength from 90.60 kPa to 12.04 kPa. Furthermore, the prepared coating demonstrates self-healing properties and high durability, releasing PDMS stored in the coating sustainably to heal the damaged coating surface and keeping superhydrophobicity after chemical etching and mechanical erosion. Finally, the de-icing applicability of the coating was validated using a homemade rotor wing model. Such core-shelled anti-/de-icing materials would provide a theoretical basis and a brand-new design strategy for development and application of anti-/de-icing materials.