Research Progress on Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Photothermal Anti-/Deicing Coatings

Ice accumulation severely threatens the safe operation of aerospace, wind power and power transmission facilities, while traditional deicing technologies suffer high energy consumption and secondary pollution. Bioinspired superhydrophobic photothermal coatings integrate micro-nano bionic architectures and light-to-heat conversion media to realize synergistic passive ice suppression and solar-driven active deicing, emerging as an eco-friendly anti-icing route. This critical review systematically sorts scattered experimental findings from existing literature and clarifies that most observed performance correlations are restricted by non-uniform test conditions, rather than universal mechanistic laws applicable to all service scenarios. All comparative observations between different photothermal material systems and biomimetic structures are derived from discrete experimental datasets without harmonized measurement frameworks, so definitive cross-group performance rankings cannot be generalized across all icing environments. This work classifies mainstream photothermal filler categories and corresponding microfabrication techniques, analyzes inter-study data discrepancies caused by the lack of unified ice characterization standards, and elaborates multi-dimensional practical limitations of lacquer-based anti-icing coatings, including weak mechanical robustness and heavy dependence on solar irradiation. Finally, we propose targeted breakthrough directions involving multi-mode energy synergy, computational structural optimization and standardized characterization protocols, to provide targeted mechanistic guidance for developing high-performance, industrially viable bionic anti-icing lacquers.