Multi‐Scale Biomimetic Strategy: Robust Woven Wires with Photo‐Thermal De‐Icing and Spontaneous De‐Wetting

Abstract The irreversible transition from the Wenzel to the Cassie–Baxter state of superhydrophobic surfaces under negative temperatures and high humidity significantly degrades their anti‐icing performance. Moreover, large‐scale preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with high mechanical durability remains challenging. In this study, inspired by the photothermal properties of coral and the reinforcement structures of mountain slopes, an anti‐icing mesh (AIM) with submillimeter overlapping peaks/ridges and coral‐shaped micro‐/nanostructures assembled onto woven wires is fabricated using one‐step laser micromachining. The resulting AIM exhibited an ice adhesion strength of 14.5 kPa and solar‐assisted de‐icing times of 123 s (0.1 Wcm −2 ) and 302 s (0.05 Wcm −2 ) in frozen‐rain environment. These properties are attributed to its hollow micro‐skeleton and subwavelength porous nano‐gaps formed by melted polydimethylsiloxane and dispersed carbon black nanoparticles. The AIM maintained a water rolling angle of 8° even after 10,000 abrasion cycles, as tested using the standardized ASTM D4060 method. The robustness mechanism is further analyzed through a quantitative assessment of micromorphology evolution and interface wetting states. Additionally, transmission cables encapsulated with intact or damaged AIM are tested to simulate real‐world de‐icing applications, demonstrating its strong anti‐icing potential as a scalable fabrication method with effective freezing delay, photothermal de‐icing capability, and exceptional durability.

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Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-06-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202423043
Citations
13
Primary Topic
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
8.60

Funders

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article

Multi‐Scale Biomimetic Strategy: Robust Woven Wires with Photo‐Thermal De‐Icing and Spontaneous De‐Wetting

Yan Hu, Liming Liu, Shengqi Lu, Wei Pan et al.
13 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
8.60
article

Multi‐Scale Biomimetic Strategy: Robust Woven Wires with Photo‐Thermal De‐Icing and Spontaneous De‐Wetting

Yan Hu, Liming Liu, Shengqi Lu, Wei Pan, Jinsong Huang, Kun Zhang
article en
13 citations

Abstract

Abstract The irreversible transition from the Wenzel to the Cassie–Baxter state of superhydrophobic surfaces under negative temperatures and high humidity significantly degrades their anti‐icing performance. Moreover, large‐scale preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with high mechanical durability remains challenging. In this study, inspired by the photothermal properties of coral and the reinforcement structures of mountain slopes, an anti‐icing mesh (AIM) with submillimeter overlapping peaks/ridges and coral‐shaped micro‐/nanostructures assembled onto woven wires is fabricated using one‐step laser micromachining. The resulting AIM exhibited an ice adhesion strength of 14.5 kPa and solar‐assisted de‐icing times of 123 s (0.1 Wcm −2 ) and 302 s (0.05 Wcm −2 ) in frozen‐rain environment. These properties are attributed to its hollow micro‐skeleton and subwavelength porous nano‐gaps formed by melted polydimethylsiloxane and dispersed carbon black nanoparticles. The AIM maintained a water rolling angle of 8° even after 10,000 abrasion cycles, as tested using the standardized ASTM D4060 method. The robustness mechanism is further analyzed through a quantitative assessment of micromorphology evolution and interface wetting states. Additionally, transmission cables encapsulated with intact or damaged AIM are tested to simulate real‐world de‐icing applications, demonstrating its strong anti‐icing potential as a scalable fabrication method with effective freezing delay, photothermal de‐icing capability, and exceptional durability.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(47)
Guangxi University (CN), Henan University of Science and Technology (CN), Henan University of Technology (CN)
Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Specific Research Project of Guangxi for Research Bases and Talents
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
8.60
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