Wenjuan Cui1, Tapani A Pakkanen2. 1. Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland. 2. Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland. Electronic address: tapani.pakkanen@uef.fi.
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS: State-of-the-art superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) usually do not function in high humidity and frosty climate conditions. Lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LISSs) with a homogeneous and ultraslippery surface are expected to be a reliable icephobic technique. Hence, the fabrication of simple and scalable bioinspired LISSs is important for practical applications. EXPERIMENTS: Durable one-step LISSs consisting of silicone oil and polymer mixtures were fabricated. A grid map based on added oil and silica nanoparticles was developed to tune wettability, morphology, and slippery behavior of surfaces. A similar framework for ice adhesion of lubricant-infused coatings was also presented for the design of optimal icephobic materials. FINDINGS: LISSs with slight hydrophobicity yield slippery properties, resulting in an order of magnitude lower ice adhesion compared to SHSs. The stable 20-w% silicone-oil-infused slippery coating with slight hydrophobicity and silica nanoparticles was found to be effective in anti-icing. The nanoparticles firmly anchor the oil overlayer and eliminate contamination by drying the surface. The LISSs made of polymers with surface energy ranging from 29 to 31 mJ/m2 show the potential to achieve low ice adhesion. As a result, the use of systematic frameworks highlights the role of material parameters. One-production strategy can be broadly used to design icephobic materials.
HYPOTHESIS: State-of-the-art superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) usually do not function in high humidity and frosty climate conditions. Lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LISSs) with a homogeneous and ultraslippery surface are expected to be a reliable icephobic technique. Hence, the fabrication of simple and scalable bioinspired LISSs is important for practical applications. EXPERIMENTS: Durable one-step LISSs consisting of silicone oil and polymer mixtures were fabricated. A grid map based on added oil and silica nanoparticles was developed to tune wettability, morphology, and slippery behavior of surfaces. A similar framework for ice adhesion of lubricant-infused coatings was also presented for the design of optimal icephobic materials. FINDINGS: LISSs with slight hydrophobicity yield slippery properties, resulting in an order of magnitude lower ice adhesion compared to SHSs. The stable 20-w% silicone-oil-infused slippery coating with slight hydrophobicity and silica nanoparticles was found to be effective in anti-icing. The nanoparticles firmly anchor the oil overlayer and eliminate contamination by drying the surface. The LISSs made of polymers with surface energy ranging from 29 to 31 mJ/m2 show the potential to achieve low ice adhesion. As a result, the use of systematic frameworks highlights the role of material parameters. One-production strategy can be broadly used to design icephobic materials.