Synergistic Aging Resistance and Autonomous Self-Healing in Trimethylolpropane Triglycidyl Ether-Based Anti-Icing Coatings

Anti-icing materials have attracted considerable research interest due to their potential applications in preventing ice accretion and growth. However, a major challenge in the field is how to enhance durability while maintaining anti-icing performance. This study proposes a facile fabrication method for anti-icing coatings with anti-aging and self-healing abilities. A three-dimensionally cross-linked block copolymer, synthesized from polydimethylsiloxane, 4-aminophenyl disulfide, and trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether, yielded a coating with excellent anti-icing/de-icing performance, including a low ice adhesion strength (29.2 kPa) and a high icing delay time (1389 s). The introduction of 4-aminophenyl disulfide enables dynamic disulfide bond reorganization and aromatic framework formation, synergistically conferring the icephobic coating with self-repair mechanisms and an anti-aging function. The coating exhibited a rapid self-healing capability (within 4 h), which is facilitated by the dynamic exchange of its hydrogen and disulfide bonds. Furthermore, the material demonstrated outstanding durability against physical wear and ultraviolet radiation. After being subjected to a 1000-cycle abrasion test and ultraviolet aging, the coating successfully retained more than 70% of its original performance in both icing delay time and ice adhesion strength. This paper proposes a facile strategy for developing self-healing and anti-aging anti-icing coatings and proposes innovative strategies for multifunctional anti-icing coatings.