Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coating Based on Hollow Carbon Nanospheres and Water-Soluble Fluorine-Free Polysiloxane for Durable Anti-Icing/Deicing

Ice accretion induced by extreme weather conditions poses a serious threat to the safe operation of infrastructure. Although superhydrophobic coatings exhibit excellent passive anti-icing performance, they generally lack active deicing capabilities. In this study, a novel photothermal superhydrophobic coating (PM-CPPS) is developed by integrating hydrangea-like hollow carbon nanospheres (CPPS) with a water-soluble fluorine-free polysiloxane (PMATE), enabling a synergistic effect of passive anti-icing and active deicing. The hierarchical micro/nanostructure and low surface energy of the PM-CPPS coating significantly enhanced its hydrophobicity (WCA > 157°), and the photothermal effect enabled complete melting of surface ice within 93 s. Experimental results showed that at −15°C, the coating extended the freezing time of water droplets by approximately 20-fold. Additionally, interfacial adhesion is improved via an epoxy–amine ring-opening reaction between epoxy groups and polydopamine (PDA), allowing the coating to maintain superhydrophobicity after 200 sandpaper abrasion cycles and 160 tape-peeling tests. PM-CPPS exhibited an ultra-low initial ice adhesion strength (5.25 kPa) and a stable photothermal conversion efficiency of 83.24%. This study offers an efficient and durable coating design strategy for long-term anti-icing and deicing applications in infrastructure under extreme environmental conditions.