Framework bridging-induced densified icephobic coatings coupling high mechanical strength and flexibility

Abstract

Icephobic surfaces (e.g., superhydrophobic surfaces and slippery surfaces) have significant economic, energy and safety implications by offering prevention and easy removal of ice in many critical applications. So far, the durability of these surfaces remains to be a major concern, preventing their adoption in practice. Here, we design a low-surface-energy framework of bridging rigid nanoparticles that can be covalently bonded together controllably, leading to the densification of the coatings and removal of the pores. The obtained compact and superhydrophobic coatings couple high mechanical strength and flexibility, endowing them to maintain superhydrophobicity and slippery properties despite being exposed to harsh abrasion of the surface. Under the binary cooperative strategy of superhydrophobic and slippery properties, our framework coatings are ultra-durable for icephobicity. Importantly, the versatile and scalable design of the framework coatings presented here provides a generic paradigm for coupling high mechanical strength and flexibility in one coating.