Superhydrophobic Composite with Photothermal Properties and Abrasive Resistance for Anti-/Deicing

Materials with superhydrophobic surfaces have the potential for anti-/deicing, but they are plagued by low solar energy and weak mechanical durability. Herein, an encapsulated phase-change microparticle is first designed by integrating photothermal conversion and thermal storage during phase change. The photothermal conversion efficiency of the phase-change microparticles is up to 93.8% due to the full-spectrum absorption capability, and the photothermal property retains excellent reversibility and stability after three cycles. Then, based on the phase-change microparticles, a durable photothermal phase-change superhydrophobic composite material (DSCM) is constructed by filling polyimide (PI) aerogel into the dodecahedral iron-nickel foam, which has excellent anti-/deicing ability at a temperature of -20 °C and a humidity of 30-40% due to the synergistic enhanced strategy, superhydrophobicity, and photothermal capability. The compressive strength of the DSCM is up to about 12.3 MPa, and the friction coefficient and wear rate are as low as 0.026 and 1.806 × 10-4 mm3/Nm, respectively, retaining superhydrophobicity after 1 h cycle wear. The DSCM with the antifriction and wear resistance system provides a novel approach to design photothermal phase-change superhydrophobic materials, which expands the anti-icing applications under harsh conditions, such as low temperature, high humidity, pressure, and friction.