Bioinspired Brush Reinforced Solid Slippery Coatings for Marine Photovoltaic Protection

Plant cuticles exhibit exceptional liquid repellence and self-healing properties through brush-like cutin-wax nanostructures, providing inspiration for the multifunctional slippery materials. Here, a plant cuticle-inspired solid slippery surface (PI-SSS) is introduced based on surface-grafted polymer brushes, which act as a stable molecular matrix to enhance the adhesion strength of lubricating copolymer and the substrate (≈0.96 MPa) via strong ion-dipole interactions. The resultant PI-SSS demonstrates excellent optical transmittance (≈91.3%) and liquid repellence, particularly against crude oil, alongside multifunctional anti-biofouling properties (e.g., proteins, chlorella, and mussels). The durability of the coating is validated under extreme conditions, such as prolonged acid and base solution exposure, repeated adhesion/peeling cycles, and seawater immersion, while maintaining its slippery behavior. These features significantly protect solar cells from harsh environments, ensuring a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 15.8% and a stable output voltage of approximately 2.0 V after continuous UV irradiation for a week, and 50 cycles of thermal tests between -15 °C and 100 °C, offering a promising approach for marine solar photovoltaic protection.