Photothermal Energy-Storage Capsule with Sustainable Evaporation for Efficient Anti-/Deicing

The inhibition of ice accumulation on surfaces is of great importance in various practical applications and extensive efforts have been made to address this daunting challenge. Among many others, the promising photothermal anti-icing surfaces become ineffective under a nonillumination condition. Herein, a photothermal energy-storage capsule (PESC) by leveraging both the solar-to-thermal conversion and energy-storage capability is proposed for efficient anti-/deicing. Under illumination, the surface temperature can rise to 55 °C, which endows fast droplet evaporation to prevent the subsequent bulk freezing, and the accumulated ice and frost in a low temperature quickly melts and fully evaporates. Importantly, sustainable droplet evaporation can be achieved without illumination which is attributed to the energy storage property of the PESC. This research provides a satisfactory paradigm for surface design in all-weather anti-/deicing applications.