Photothermal Superhydrophobic Membrane Based on Breath Figure: Anti-Icing and Deicing

Abstract

Removing surface ice accumulation on a large scale through solar energy is a promising solution. However, preparing excellent superhydrophobic materials quickly and easily is a challenge. Here, we propose a simple method for preparing superhydrophobic photothermal films for anti-icing/deicing. Preparation of porous PMMA membrane as substrate using breath figure. Then, a layer of MWCNTs modified by FAS is sprayed on the surface of PMMA membrane to obtain a photothermal superhydrophobic film. PMMA@MWCNTs membrane has: (1) excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA=157 °, SA ≈ 1.7 °), (2) excellent photothermal effect (the surface temperature of the sample quickly reaches 80.9 °C within 120 s under one sunlight intensity), and (3) good mechanical stability. Therefore, in both simulated and outdoor environments, the film exhibits excellent anti-icing and deicing performance. For example, significantly prolonging the freezing time of water droplets (1175 s), rapid deicing (160 s), defrosting (521 s), and excellent dynamic anti-icing performance(ΔM=0.0049 g). This study is of great significance for designing a new type of simple and large area anti-icing film, providing the possibility for its application in complex working environments.

Keywords: photothermal, Superhydrophobic, Membrane, anti-icing, deicing