Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
11:20
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications
Published on: August 15, 2018
8.6K
Reduced Ice Adhesion Using Amphiphilic Poly(Ionic Liquid)-Based Surfaces.
Zahra Mossayebi1,2, Vianna F Jafari1, Paul A Gurr1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 28, 2023
Summary
New amphiphilic coatings using poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) segments demonstrate exceptionally low ice adhesion. These novel surfaces offer a promising solution for practical anti-icing applications by reducing ice buildup and associated economic losses.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Ice accumulation on surfaces leads to substantial economic losses across various industries.
- Developing surfaces with low ice adhesion is crucial for effective anti-icing solutions.
- Poly(ionic liquid) (PIL)-based surfaces show potential for antifogging and frost-prevention, but their anti-icing capabilities require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel amphiphilic triblock copolymers for anti-icing applications.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of these copolymers in semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs).
- To evaluate the ice adhesion strength and elucidate the de-icing mechanisms of the developed coatings.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of triblock copolymers comprising polydimethylsiloxane, poly([2 (methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride) (PMETAC), and UV-cured with oligo(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (OEGDMA).
- Systematic variation of counterion, PIL content, and cross-linker concentration to create diverse SIPNs.
- Characterization of surface features, wettability, and hydration states to understand de-icing mechanisms.
- Measurement of ice adhesion strength to quantify anti-icing performance.
Main Results:
- Achieved an exceptionally low ice adhesion strength of 13.3 ± 8.6 kPa with a coating containing 12.5 wt % PMETAC and 5 wt % OEGDMA.
- Identified self-lubrication, attributed to nonfreezable bound water, as the primary mechanism for low ice adhesion.
- Demonstrated a strong correlation between coating composition, surface properties, and icephobic performance.
Conclusions:
- The developed PIL-based SIPN coatings exhibit significant potential as effective icephobic surfaces.
- The findings provide a new strategy for designing advanced anti-icing materials.
- These coatings offer a promising avenue for mitigating ice-related economic impacts in industrial applications.
Related Concept Videos
02:57Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
28.3K
Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
28.3K
01:09Colloidal precipitates
668
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
668
01:14Adhesion
40.3K
Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
40.3K
03:00Solubility
17.7K
Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules,...
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules,...
17.7K