Preparation and Anti-icing Performance of a Photothermal Self-Healing Superhydrophobic Membrane

To address challenges related to dynamic anti-wetting, mechanical durability, and chemical resistance due to UV oxidation faced by flexible superhydrophobic membrane materials in outdoor anti-icing applications, this paper presents a study on the fabrication and performance of a photothermal self-healing superhydrophobic membrane (PTHSHM). The membrane was prepared by fluorinated-graphene/TiO₂/ SiO₂ nanoparticles and dispersing them in a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix, followed by optimizing laser processing parameters to achieve the hydrophobic modification. The PTHSHM exhibited impressive performance in terms of dynamic anti-wetting, maintaining a water contact angle of 156.4° even after 1000 cycles of stretching with a 400% strain. Moreover, it demonstrated efficient self-healing abilities, achieving a healing efficiency of 97.6% in 8 minutes under 0.4 W/cm⁻² infrared illumination. Moreover, the membrane showed strong resistance to chemical damage, retaining a water contact angle of at least 155° after 10 cycles of oxygen plasma etching and repair. In anti-icing tests, the delayed freezing time and ice adhesion strength of PTHSHM is measured as 350 s and 55 kPa. A 20 μL ice droplet melted and rolled off in 77 s under 0.1 W/cm² sunlight. Overall, the PTHSHM displays excellent mechanical and chemical durability, along with significant advantages in delaying ice formation and facilitating ice removal, making it a promising candidate for various outdoor anti-icing applications.