Efficient anti-frosting enabled by femtosecond laser-induced salt-philic and superhydrophobic surface

Frost formation is a normal phase transition phenomenon in cold climates, while it usually brings certain troubles to human lives and production. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop frost resistant materials and key technologies. Here, a salt-philic and superhydrophobic surface is designed on a PDMS substrate by femtosecond laser direct writing technology in combination with salt–ethanol–water mixtures droplet treatment. The laser-treated PDMS embedded salt (LTP-S) surface exhibits superhydrophobicity, which alone is a property that can resist the formation of frost and enables a self-cleaning effect. Meanwhile, the salt coating further enhances the frost resistance of the surface by reducing the freezing point temperature. The LTP-S surface is revealed to perform well in frosting-defrosting cycles, washing resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, heating resistance, and long-term air exposure tests as a highly efficient and stable anti-frosting surface. This work demonstrates a facile strategy to fabricate a salt-philic and superhydrophobic surface for efficient anti-frosting.