Liquid Impalement Resistant and Mechanically Robust Superhydrophobic Coatings with Anti-Icing Performance

Superhydrophobic coatings attract significant attention due to their unique wettability and broad application potential. However, the main challenges they face in practical applications are achieving excellent impalement resistance and mechanical robustness simultaneously. Here, the preparation of superhydrophobic coatings are reported that integrate exceptional impalement resistance and mechanical robustness through the rational design of hierarchical micro-/nanostructures and systematic optimization strategies. The coatings exhibit good superhydrophobicity, outstanding impalement resistance (e.g., resisting water flow impacts of 7.8 m s⁻¹ and immersion in 1 m of water for 30 d), high mechanical robustness (e.g., withstanding 2000 cycles of Taber abrasion and 400 cycles of tape-peeling), as well as excellent chemical durability, UV aging resistance, and outdoor stability. These performances are ascribed to the coating's hierarchical micro/nanostructure, the protective effect of the microstructure, and perfluoroalkyl-induced low surface energy. Consequently, the coatings show excellent anti-icing performance, e.g., significantly delaying icing, low ice adhesion strength (<70 kPa in the −10 °C and 60% RH environment), and high stability during repeated icing/deicing. Thus, this method provides a feasible way to enhance the robustness of superhydrophobic coatings, and it will facilitate the potential application of superhydrophobic coatings in various environments.