A Bioinspired Micro-Grooved Structure for Low Snow Adhesion and Effective Snow-Shedding

Abstract

Many outdoor devices require effective snow prevention solutions, yet existing passive anti-icing technologies are inadequate for snow repellency due to the variability of snow properties. This study addresses this gap by proposing a bioinspired micro-grooved anti-snow structure that minimizes van der Waals forces through reduced contact area and mitigates capillary effects via a V-shaped design, facilitating the separation of liquid water at the interface. Snow-shedding performance is shown to be highly sensitive to surface roughness, with the periodic smoothness of micro-grooves significantly reducing mechanical interlocking with snow. In contrast, hierarchical superhydrophobic structures strongly interlock with ice grains, preventing spontaneous snow-shedding even at extremely low adhesion forces. By embedding superhydrophobic nanoparticles into the micro-groove structure, this study presents a multifunctional design that integrates anti-icing, anti-snow, and water-repellent properties. Experimental results demonstrate that the structure effectively balances adhesion reduction and snow-shedding performance, showing promising potential for photovoltaic solar power systems and large-scale architectural applications.