PDMS-based photothermal super-ice-repellent films with bendable stretchability and efficient anti-icing/de-icing properties

Superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit excellent ice delay performance, but ice formation still occurs under prolonged low-temperature conditions. In this paper, the blending stability of PDMS and nano-TiN and EG particles is utilized, combined with laser processing strategy to form an array-distributed micron-scale papillary structure, to prepare a photothermal flexible superhydrophobic film that is stretchable/bendable and has excellent anti-wetting. After 100 bending and stretching deformations, the SH-PDMS@TiN@EG flexible film still maintains excellent water repellency, with water contact angles of 159 ± 1° (bending) and 157 ± 1° (stretching) and rolling angles of 3.7 ± 0.5° (bending) and 5 ± 0.5° (stretching). Under 1 sun illumination, the SH-PDMS@TiN@EG flexible film can reach a saturation temperature of 63.7 °C. Under low-temperature conditions (-10℃), the SH-PDMS@TiN@EG flexible film exhibits an excellent ice delay time (2826 s, promoting homogeneous nucleation of droplets) and a fast photothermal melting/deicing time (0.5 sun, 57 s). Cables coated with SH-PDMS@TiN@EG flexible film can achieve stable anti-icing and fast photothermal deicing in low temperature environments. Large droplets (0.4 ml) frozen on the surface of the film can fall off in 263 s under 0.5 sun solar radiation. The film has good anti-frost (-10 ℃, delayed frost time is 3018 s) and defrost time (1 sun, 98 s). The SH-PDMS@TiN@EG flexible film has good mechanical durability and can maintain good water repellency in icing-deicing cycles and impact tests. This work provides new ideas for the research of photothermal superhydrophobic film materials, which will be promising for anti-icing/de-icing in the fields of power transmission, aircraft, ships, and road traffic.