Photoelectrothermal assisted superhydrophobic coating based on graphene/PTFE/epoxy resin

Surface icing poses serious challenges across multiple sectors including aviation, transportation infrastructure, and building construction. While superhydrophobic coatings demonstrate ice-delaying capabilities through their water-repellent characteristics, their performance becomes limited under severe cold conditions. Similarly, electrothermal anti-icing coatings show effective ice prevention, though their application is constrained in scenarios with unreliable power supply.In this study, a photo-thermo-assisted superhydrophobic coating (SRPC) based on graphene/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/epoxy resin was developed for 7075 aluminum alloy surface. The coating was prepared by spraying method and exhibited excellent photo-thermal, electro-thermal, and anti-/de-icing properties.In terms of thermal performance, the surface temperature of the sample can reach nearly 40℃ after 8 minutes of energization, showing good thermal conversion efficiency. In terms of photothermal properties, due to the unique microstructure of the superhydrophobic coating surface and the excellent photothermal properties of graphene, the reflectivity of the samples is less than 10% and the transmittance is within 1.8%. Under 1 sun illumination, the surface heats to 88.5°C in 280 seconds and melts ice in 288 seconds. Combining 1.5 sun irradiation with 2W power reduces de-icing time to 169 seconds. These results underscore the strong potential of the fabricated coating for efficient anti-/de-icing applications in extreme environments.