Robust, transparent, and superhydrophobic PVDF-TrFE/PDMS nanofiber coatings for anti-fogging and anti-icing

Superhydrophobic coatings often present a trade-off between transparency and mechanical robustness for glass substrates. Inspired by the general concept of natural superhydrophobic surfaces, a highly transparent superhydrophobic anti-icing composite coating based on a Polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE)/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) blend polymer via electrospinning technology has been developed. By constructing a PVDF-TrFE/PDMS nanofiber network on a silanized trimethylsilane (TMS-s) /polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) promoter layer (which acts as an interface-strengthening layer), the gradient structure design of the functional coating on the glass substrate was successfully realized. Experimental results demonstrate that the TMS-s/PDMS promoter layer significantly enhances the interfacial bonding strength between the PVDF-TrFE/PDMS nanofibers and the glass substrate, achieving a water contact angle of 154.1° ± 4°, a sliding angle of 3° ± 1°, and approximately 92.6 % transmittance. The adhesion-enhancing mechanism is further investigated through molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Results reveal that the introduction of TMS-s increases interfacial adhesion, attributed to strong siloxane bonds formed between TMS-s and the glass surface, as well as Si-O-C bonds between TMS-s and PDMS. This combination of interactions significantly improves the coating's mechanical robustness. This study provides a novel strategy for multifunctional protective coatings in applications such as building windows, solar panels, automotive windshields, and aircraft windows.