A highly efficient and durable bioinspired urchin-like superamphiphobicity photothermal coating for anti-icing and de-icing, protected by a tough SiC armor layer

Photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces hold substantial significant promise for anti-icing and de-icing applications. However, conventional materials are severely constrained limited by poor durability and low photothermal conversion efficiency, hindering their practical application. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel photothermal superamphiphobic coating via a two-step spraying process. The coating is fabricated using micro-SiC and urchin-like TiO₂ particles modified with polypyrrole (PPY) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FAS). The coating consists of a durable underlayer of SiC-reinforced epoxy and a top layer of urchin-like TiO₂ particles modified with PPY and FAS. The resulting surface demonstrated: (i) Exceptional durability. It retains superhydrophobicity after 1000 abrasion cycles under a 200 g load using 1000-grit sandpaper, withstands impact from 600 g of sand, and endures 160 min of water jetting. This performance exhibits distinct advantages compared with previously reported photothermal superhydrophobic coatings. (ii) Superior photothermal conversion efficiency. The urchin-like TiO₂ particles form a hierarchical micro-nano structure comprising nano-spines and submicron spheres, enhancing light-trapping capability. The coating demonstrates a high solar absorption of 97.31%, enabling its surface temperature to rise to 81.4 °C within 5 min under 1-sun irradiation. (iii) Stable superamphiphobicity. It shows water and oil contact angles of 161° and 151.7°, respectively, along with robust chemical and thermal stability. At −10 °C, the coating extends the freezing time of water droplets to 2057 s. Combined with its excellent durability, this ensures long-term anti-icing reliability. By strategically integrating the hierarchical structure with functional components, this work simultaneously enhances the coating's photothermal performance and mechanical durability, providing a promising and robust solution for practical anti-icing and de-icing applications.