Superhydrophobic Coating with a Modified Micronano-ZnO@CoZIF-8 Structure for Efficient Anti-icing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional deicing methods are inefficient and labor-intensive.
• Superhydrophobic coatings offer a promising alternative for anti-icing solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust superhydrophobic composite coating with enhanced anti-icing and self-cleaning properties.
• To investigate the performance of a ZnO@CoZIF-8 micronano-structure modified with PDMS, PVDF, and POTS.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of the composite coating using a simple spraying technique.
• Characterization of surface properties, including contact angle (CA) and sliding angle (SA).
• Evaluation of anti-icing performance, ice adhesion, oil-water separation, self-cleaning, anti-pollution, and antibacterial efficacy.

Main Results:

• The coating achieved a CA of 156.6° and SA of 3.5°, maintaining superhydrophobicity in alkaline conditions for 144 hours.
• Significantly delayed freezing, extending water droplet freezing time by 12-fold at -15 °C.
• Demonstrated low ice adhesion (44.80 kPa), high oil-water separation efficiency (92.69%), and over 90% sterilization efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed superhydrophobic coating exhibits excellent durability, anti-icing, and multifunctional properties.
• The composite coating shows significant potential for applications in wind power, construction, aviation, and shipping industries.
• This study presents a viable strategy for creating advanced functional surfaces for challenging environmental conditions.