Robust photothermal SLIPS from in-situ ZIF-67 on carbon fibers for synergistic anti-icing and deicing

Ice accretion poses a severe threat to transportation, power transmission, and aerospace industries under low-temperature and high-humidity conditions. Although superhydrophobic surfaces can delay ice formation, their micro/nanostructures tend to induce heterogeneous nucleation and easily lose anti-icing ability under extreme conditions. Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) significantly reduce ice adhesion and suppress heterogeneous nucleation by introducing a lubricating layer, demonstrating superior anti-/de-icing potential. However, conventional SLIPS suffer from lubricant depletion and insufficient oil-locking capacity, and single-function SLIPS cannot meet the demand of intelligent anti-icing. Herein, we report a novel photothermal SLIPS (FZPC/SiO₂-SO) with unique in-situ ZIF-67 growth on carbon fibers (CF) via polydopamine (PDA) assistance and fluorosilane coordination grafting, which constructs hierarchical porous architecture with dual oil-storage reservoirs for synergistic anti-icing and de-icing. The wettability, oil-storage capacity, passive anti-icing and active de-icing performances were systematically investigated. Results reveal that the coating achieves optimal comprehensive performance at a FZPC:SiO₂ mass ratio of 1:1 with 60 wt% SO infusion, exhibiting an ultralow ice adhesion strength of 15.8 kPa, prolonged freezing delay of 593 s, and maintained low ice adhesion (≤24.4 kPa) after 30 de-icing cycles, showing superior oil retention and durability compared with traditional CF-based SLIPS. Photothermal tests demonstrate rapid surface heating to 67 °C within 2 min under 1 sun irradiation, enabling prompt ice melting (within 48 s). This in-situ MOF-modified photothermal SLIPS breaks through the bottlenecks of lubricant loss and single function in conventional SLIPS, providing a novel strategy for developing highly stable and multifunctional integrated lubricant anti-icing coatings.