Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coating Based on Hollow Carbon Nanospheres and Water‐Soluble Fluorine‐Free Polysiloxane for Durable Anti‐Icing/Deicing

ABSTRACT Ice accretion induced by extreme weather conditions poses a serious threat to the safe operation of infrastructure. Although superhydrophobic coatings exhibit excellent passive anti‐icing performance, they generally lack active deicing capabilities. In this study, a novel photothermal superhydrophobic coating (PM‐CPPS) is developed by integrating hydrangea‐like hollow carbon nanospheres (CPPS) with a water‐soluble fluorine‐free polysiloxane (PMATE), enabling a synergistic effect of passive anti‐icing and active deicing. The hierarchical micro/nanostructure and low surface energy of the PM‐CPPS coating significantly enhanced its hydrophobicity (WCA > 157°), and the photothermal effect enabled complete melting of surface ice within 93 s. Experimental results showed that at −15°C, the coating extended the freezing time of water droplets by approximately 20‐fold. Additionally, interfacial adhesion is improved via an epoxy–amine ring‐opening reaction between epoxy groups and polydopamine (PDA), allowing the coating to maintain superhydrophobicity after 200 sandpaper abrasion cycles and 160 tape‐peeling tests. PM‐CPPS exhibited an ultra‐low initial ice adhesion strength (5.25 kPa) and a stable photothermal conversion efficiency of 83.24%. This study offers an efficient and durable coating design strategy for long‐term anti‐icing and deicing applications in infrastructure under extreme environmental conditions.