A novel anti-icing superhydrophobic hybrid material synthesized by surface initiated AGET ATPR can prevent ice formation.

The multifunctional superhydrophobic surfaces incorporated with Fe3O4 exhibit excellent anti-icing and active deicing properties.

Slippery liquid-infused surfaces (SLIPS) have aroused widespread attention due to their excellent liquid-repellency properties associated with broad applications in various fields. However, the complicated preparation processes and the vulnerable surface lubricant layers severely restrict the practical applications of SLIPS. In this work, robust transparent slippery hybrid coatings (SHCs) were easily fabricated by the infusion of sol-gel-derived nanocomposite coatings in silicone oils of varying viscosity. The prepared silicone oil-infused surfaces exhibited outstanding long-term slippery stability even under extreme operating conditions such as high shear rate, elevated evaporation, and flowing aqueous immersion. Static bacteria culture tests confirmed that the SHCs could significantly inhibit biofilm formation. In addition, bovine serum albumin adhesion experiments were conducted after lubricant loss tests, showing significantly less protein absorption and a long service life of the SLIPS. The unique ultralow bacterial attachment and remarkably long-term protein-resistant performance render the as-prepared SLIPS as a promising candidate for biomedical applications even under harsh environmental conditions.

A superhydrophobic surface with anti-icing performance has been the focus of research, but few studies have reported the effective and low cost strategy that met the requirements under overcooled conditions. In this article, the fluorinated sol-gel colloid coatings were simply prepared via hydrolytic condensation of nanosilica sol, methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and 3-[(perfluorohexylsulfonyl)amino]propyltriethoxysilane (HFTES). The multi scale morphology and chemical composition of the artificial surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The influence of the surface roughness structure and fluorinated groups on the wettability and freezing delay time of the colloid surface under overcooled conditions were explored. As the HFTES content was higher than 6 wt%, the prepared colloid surface showed excellent superhydropobicity with a contact angle (CA) of about 166° at room temperature. The CA gradually reduced with the decrease of the temperature. Only the samples with high HFTES contents (above 30 wt%) exhibited special superhydrophobic and anti-icing properties under freeze temperature. Besides the surface roughness structure, the high fluoride enrichment on the surface plays a major role in the superhydrophobic and anti-icing properties under overcooled conditions.

The degradation of poly(fluoroalkyl acrylate)s with long perfluoroalkyl groups, especially with perfluorooctyl group, leads to the release of biopersistent perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). To find the environmentally friendly substitutes, a series of nonbiopersistant fluorinated polymers containing perfluorohexyl groups in the side chains have been synthesized and characterized. This study was then focused on the role played by the main chain and spacer group located in the side chain between the backbone and the fluorinated segment and, in particular, on the properties of poly [2-[[[[2-(perfluorohexyl)]-sulfonyl]methyl]amino]ethyl] acrylate (PC6SA), methacrylate (PC6SMA) and poly-[(perfluorohexyl)ethyl] methacrylate (PC6MA). Surface properties and bulk organization of fluorinated side chains of those polymers were investigated by contact angles, differential scanning calorimetry, optical polaring microscopy, and wideangle X-ray scattering. Results were compared with those obtained with poly[(perfluorohexyl) ethyl] acrylate (PC6A). They all had very low surface free energies. Surprisingly, with the same perfluoalkyl chain, PC6SA and PC6SMA with a Nmethylsulfonamide spacer group were found to be organized in a liquid crystalline lamellar structure, whereas PC6A and PC6MA were found to be amorphous. This was mainly attributed to the steric term and polarity of N-methylsulfonamide group that tended to facilitate the orientation of the perfluorinated segments in smectic phases. PC6SA, PC6SMA, and PC6MA had rich dynamic water repellency because of the low surface molecular mobility. This phenomenon relates to the crystallization of side chains or high glass transition temperature.

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Ice formation and accretion on surfaces is a serious economic issue in energy supply and transportation. Recent strategies for developing icephobic surfaces are intimately associated with superwettability. Commonly, the superwettability of icephobic materials depends on their surface roughness and chemical composition. This article critically categorizes the possible strategies to mitigate icing problems from daily life. The wettability and classical nucleation theories are used to characterize the icephobic surfaces. Thermodynamically, the advantages/disadvantages of superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed to explain icephobic behavior. The importance of elasticity, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs), amphiphilicity, antifreezing protein, organogels, and stimuli-responsive materials has been highlighted to induce icephobic performance. In addition, the design principles and mechanism to fabricate icephobic surfaces with superwettability are explored and summarized.

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