Towards Sustainability: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Durable Anti-Icing Superhydrophobic Surfaces

The growing interest in flexible superhydrophobic surfaces extends beyond various practical applications like solar panels, flexible electronics, etc. This study introduces a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to create a durable, flexible, and optically semi-transparent superhydrophobic film with an extreme anti-icing character. The prestrained polydimethylsiloxane film subjected to biofuel-based flame treatment under controlled conditions induces microwrinkles with a superimposed cluster of nanoparticles while maintaining surface flexibility and transparency. This meticulous process enhances surface roughness, achieving superhydrophobic characteristics (θ > 165˚) with a remarkably low tilting angle (<3˚) with adhesion against water <2 µN (lower than Lotus leaf). The films applied over solar panels result in <1% voltage drop within 5 s due to effective cleaning under simulated rain. The remarkable anti-icing performance of the developed film is characterized by ice adhesion <25 kPa over 50 icing/de-icing cycles attributed to the presence of nanoclusters. The films displayed exceptional resilience and sustained efficacy under prolonged exposure to harsh external environments. These superhydrophobic films, characterized by flexibility, durability, and transparency, present promising opportunities for fabricating structures, even with intricate geometries. These findings imply a significant stride in the practical utilization of superhydrophobic surfaces, demonstrating their potential in diverse real-world applications.