Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
In winter, while the freezing of water can create breathtaking landscapes, it also poses significant operational challenges when ice accumulates on functional surfaces. Ice obstructs solar panels, impairs car windshield visibility, increases energy consumption in appliances due to insulation, and can cause structural failures or collapses due to weight and rigidity. To address these issues, various active de-icing methods are employed in cold regions. However, passive anti-icing solutions are gaining preference for their lower energy consumption, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits. While superhydrophobic surfaces delay ice formation, they do not fully resolve the problem. Understanding the interaction between surfaces and moisture-essential for ice formation-can inspire innovative anti-icing design principles. This review examines icing physics, identifies critical environmental factors affecting ice formation, evaluates icephobic surfaces, and discusses practical application challenges. We also outline promising design principles for passive anti-icing surfaces, emphasizing their broad applicability across diverse environments.
Xu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.