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Review
. 2025 Apr 22;30(9):1865.
doi: 10.3390/molecules30091865.

Research Progress of Photothermal Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Anti-Icing/Deicing

Hui Gao  1 , Tianjun Yin  1 , Jieyin Ma  1 , Yuqin Zhou  1   2 , Ke Li  1 , Jiayi Bao  1
Affiliations
Review

Research Progress of Photothermal Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Anti-Icing/Deicing

Hui Gao et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces with micro/nano-structured morphologies have emerged as promising candidates for anti-icing and deicing applications due to their exceptional water repellency and efficient solar-to-thermal conversion. These surfaces synergistically integrate the passive icephobicity of superhydrophobic coatings with the active heating capability of photothermal materials, offering energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for sectors such as aviation, wind energy, and transportation. Hence, they have received widespread attention in recent years. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in photothermal superhydrophobic coatings, focusing on their anti-icing/deicing mechanisms, surface wettability, and photothermal conversion performance for anti-icing/deicing applications. Special emphasis is placed on material categories, including metals and their compounds, carbon-based materials, and polymers, analyzing their structural features and application effectiveness. Furthermore, the application of anti-icing/deicing in various fields is described. Finally, perspectives on future development are presented, including pursuing fluorine-free, cost-effective, and multifunctional coatings to meet the growing demand for innovative, sustainable anti-icing/deicing technologies.

Keywords: advanced coatings; anti-icing/deicing; applications; photothermal; superhydrophobic surfaces.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic diagram of (a) photon-to-heat conversion, including LSPR and non-radiative transitions [86], and (b) macroscopic photothermal conversion process.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of recently published academic papers on photothermal superhydrophobic materials for anti-icing/deicing listed in Web of Science.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ice formation and propagation mechanism [31].
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Young’s equation; (b) contact angle hysteresis and sliding angle; (c) hydrophilic, (d) hydrophobic, and (e) superhydrophobic surface state; (f) Wenzel state; (g) Cassie–Baxter state.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of the anti-icing/deicing process of photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) Characterization of Cu@CuxS-SA mesh [100]; (b) preparation and photothermal properties of superhydrophobic copper foam [101]; (c) preparation and photothermal properties of Cu-CAT-1@CM and the oil–water separation process [102]; (d) preparation process of PTDC membrane and its application in solar water purification [103].
Figure 7
Figure 7
(a) Characterization of the multifunctional and photothermal properties of Ag/PDMS coatings [105]; (b) photothermal properties of superhydrophobic and conductive cotton fabric [106]; (c) electrothermal/photothermal mechanism and photothermal properties of MXene/AgNWs/PEDOT:PSS [107].
Figure 8
Figure 8
(a) Temperature distribution of Au/TiO2 plasmonic films under light illumination of 3 suns [109]; (b) fabrication and IR thermal images of 3.42% Au/Ti3C2/PF system [19].
Figure 9
Figure 9
(a) Fabrication and anti-icing/deicing property of black superhydrophobic surface [110]; (b) fabrication and photothermal properties of durable cauliflower-like micro- or nanostructured superhydrophobic surface [112].
Figure 10
Figure 10
(a) Preparation process of PSC and infrared camera images of the substrate, HC, and PSC [113]; (b) preparation and light absorption and photothermal performance of TiN coatings [22]; (c) preparation and photothermal curves of Cotton@PDA/CuS/Ag/PDMS and other cotton fabrics [120]; (d) preparation, photothermal properties, and applications of MCN/SI and MCN/SI-FC coatings [117].
Figure 11
Figure 11
(a) Preparation and photothermal properties of MWCNTs/PVDF/PDMS (C/P/P) coating for anti-icing/deicing [122]; (b) preparation, icing mechanism, and temperature changes in Cu–Ag and Cu-CNT surfaces [99]; (c) fabrication of M−CNTs/SiO2 and photothermal properties of PU foam, CNTs/SiO2 coating, and M−CNTs/SiO2 coating [125].
Figure 12
Figure 12
(a) Preparation process of photothermal superhydrophobic composite anti-freeze coating and photothermal curves of AZ31, AZ31-MAO, and photothermal superhydrophobic composite coating [126]; (b) preparation process of SHPo-Al and SHPo-LIG@Al surfaces and photothermal anti-icing abilities of SHPo-Al and SHPo-LIG@Al under illumination [129]; (c) preparation and photothermal performance of EP/Fe3O4@SiO2@FAS/Ag-rGO coatings under 1-sun illumination [128].
Figure 13
Figure 13
(a) Preparation and electrothermal and photothermal properties of EPS [130]; (b) fabrication and photothermal conversion properties of microarrays with different types of carbon black [133]; (c) fabrication and photothermal properties of MP@SHS [134].
Figure 14
Figure 14
(a) Photothermal properties of FCF−BP/SiO2 coating [135]; (b) preparation and photothermal properties of superhydrophobic F−SiO2 @Tp/Fe coatings [138]; (c) photothermal properties of PSP−SPONGE [139]; (d) photothermal −roperties of MCs and Si@PDA [131].
Figure 15
Figure 15
Application scenarios of photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces for anti-icing/deicing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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