Fluorine-free photothermal self-healing superhydrophobic coating for enhanced anti-icing performance and corrosion protection

Ship icing poses significant safety and operational risks. Although superhydrophobic coatings (SHCs) offer a promising passive anti-icing strategy, their practical application is limited by factors such as poor durability, the environmental constraints of single-function de-icing methods, and ecological issues associated with fluorinated materials. To address these challenges, this study has designed a novel fluorine-free multifunctional superhydrophobic coating that integrates photothermal effects and self-healing capabilities. The coating uses γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH-550) as the key modifier for the fluorine-free modification of epoxy resin; the surface layer achieves self-healing superhydrophobic functionality through the thermal mobility of beeswax, while the bottom layer consists of acetylene black and nanoscale graphite powder to form a conductive network. Leveraging its photothermal and electrothermal effects, the coating can melt accumulated ice via rapid photothermal heating (reaching approximately 90 °C within 300 s). Additionally, through heat-induced conduction of beeswax, the coating can autonomously restore its superhydrophobicity after mechanical or chemical damage and maintain performance over multiple cycles. The resulting coating exhibits strong adhesion to the substrate. After immersion in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for 14 days, its corrosion current density is only 2.56 × 10 –10 A/cm 2 , representing a 99.47% improvement compared to silicon-modified epoxy resin (Si-EP). Furthermore, even under prolonged sand particle erosion, the coating retains long-lasting superhydrophobicity. This study provides a promising and scalable strategy for advanced anti-icing applications in marine environments by synergistically combining environmental friendliness, photothermal de-icing, self-healing durability, and enhanced corrosion resistance in a fluorine-free system. Download: Download high-res image (298KB) Download: Download full-size image