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

Traditional physical and chemical deicing methods are often labor-intensive and inefficient, while superhydrophobic anti-icing coatings provide a simpler and more effective alternative. In this study, a composite coating with a ZnO@CoZIF-8 micronano-structure modified by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilanes (POTS) was prepared via a simple spraying technique. The coating exhibited a contact angle (CA) of 156.6° and a sliding angle (SA) as low as 3.5°. The contact angle remained above 150° for 144 h in an alkaline environment (pH = 11). Due to its excellent superhydrophobic properties, the coating remarkably delayed freezing, extending the complete freezing time of a 20 μL water droplet to 1658 s at -15 °C, which shows a 12-fold increase compared to untreated glass surfaces (120 s). Meanwhile, the coating can maintain low ice adhesion at 44.80 kPa and demonstrates superoleophilicity with an oil-water separation efficiency of 92.69%. It also exhibited notable self-cleaning, antipollution, and antibacterial properties, achieving a sterilization efficiency exceeding 90% after 24 h. The prepared coating shows great potential for applications in wind power, construction, aviation, shipping, and other industries.