Reduction of ice adhesion on nanostructured and nanoscale slippery surfaces

Ice nucleation and accretion on structural surfaces are sources of major safety and operational concerns in many industries including aviation and renewable energy. Common methods for tackling these are active ones such as heating, ultrasound, and chemicals or passive ones such as surface coatings. In this study, we explored the ice adhesion properties of slippery coated substrates by measuring the shear forces required to remove a glaze ice block on the coated substrates. Among the studied nanostructured and nanoscale surfaces [i.e., a superhydrophobic coating, a fluoropolymer coating, and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chain coating], the slippery omniphobic covalently attached liquid (SOCAL) surface with its flexible polymer brushes and liquid-like structure significantly reduced the ice adhesion on both glass and silicon surfaces. Further studies of the SOCAL coating on roughened substrates also demonstrated its low ice adhesion. The reduction in ice adhesion is attributed to the flexible nature of the brush-like structures of PDMS chains, allowing ice to detach easily.