Ultraflexible Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coating with Multifunctional Applications Based on Plasmonic TiN Nanoparticles

Abstract

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings are essential for a variety of applications including anti‐icing and light‐driven self‐propelled motion. However, achieving a flexible and durable superhydrophobic coating with high photothermal efficiency and long‐term stability is still challenging. Herein, a facile and eco‐friendly approach to realizing a superhydrophobic coating with excellent flexibility is proposed. The coating is obtained by spraying titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution onto various substrates. A tight binding between the substrate and nanoparticles occurs that offers the coating the mechanical robustness to endure bending, twisting, abrasion, and tape peeling. The water repellency is retained even after 500 cycles of bending–twisting tests. Combined with the micro–nanoscale porous structure of the surface and plasmonic property of TiN nanoparticles, the coating shows excellent superhydrophobicity and high photothermal conversion properties. The equilibrium temperature of the coating is as high as 130 °C at room temperature under 1 W cm−2 of 808 nm near‐infrared laser irradiation. Due to its flexible property, the coating can be easily applied to irregular surfaces, which, together with the excellent anticorrosion, anti‐icing, and defrosting performances, makes it a reliable resource for multifunctional applications. This work offers a novel technological approach to flexible devices, wearable electronics, and smart textiles.

Versatile Melanin-Like Coatings with Hierarchical Structure toward Personal Thermal Management, Anti-Icing/Deicing, and UV Protection

“…The appearance of PDA-fabric was almost unchanged after modification by PDMS@SiO 2 . The PDMS effectively improved the adhesion of the SiO 2 nanoparticles to the substrate, 52 and the SiO 2 nanoparticles provided additional nanoscale roughness. Meanwhile, the transparent low surface energy coating did not cause significant adverse effects on the PDA photothermal layer (Figure S2).…”

“…Nevertheless, it tended to lose superhydrophobicity under the impact of water jets (Figure S4a and Movie S5) since the polydopamine layer could not provide sufficient roughness (Figure S4b,c). In contrast, the SiO 2 nanoparticles provided additional nanoscale roughness and formed a micro–nanoscale porous structure to capture large amounts of air, which is necessary for superhydrophobic coatings Figure g shows the air permeability experiment of the coated fabric.…”

“…In contrast, the SiO 2 nanoparticles provided additional nanoscale roughness and formed a micro−nanoscale porous structure to capture large amounts of air, which is necessary for superhydrophobic coatings. 9 Figure 3g shows the air permeability experiment of the coated fabric. A wisp of white smoke can be observed above the PDMS@SiO 2 /PDA-fabric.…”

“…The general construction strategy of superhydrophobic coatings with unique water repellency requires the combination of two crucial factors: appropriate micronano rough structure and low surface energy components . The fabrication methods of superhydrophobic coatings have been significantly developed, including spraying, dip-coating, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and in situ polymerization . The monotonous superhydrophobicity is not enough to meet the multipurpose requirements of practical application scenarios. − …”

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Carbon-Based Photothermal Superhydrophobic Materials with Thermal Insulation Micropores During Anti-icing/Deicing

“…In 2015, Yu’s research group prepared self-lubricated photothermal coatings with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles as photothermal materials, demonstrating the feasibility of laser (808 nm, 1 W/cm 2 ) photothermal deicing. After that, scholars carried out research on TiN, ,, cermet, and carbon-based materials (such as carbon particles-CPs, − carbon nanotube-CNTs, , reduced graphite oxide-rGO, − and carbonized materials , ) as photothermal deicing materials. These studies have greatly expanded the application of photothermal materials in the field of anti-icing and deicing.…”