Breakthrough in Anti-Icing Coatings: Enhancing Infrastructure Safety

Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, People's Republic of China, have developed a groundbreaking photothermal superhydrophobic anti-icing coating with enhanced thermal conductivity, low cost, and simple fabrication. This revolutionary coating combines passive anti-icing properties with active deicing capabilities, utilizing carboxylated MWCNTs modified with 1,1,2,2-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (FDTS) to form micron particles (CMPs). The coating demonstrates exceptional performance, with a water contact angle (WCA) of 158° and a low roll-off angle (RA) of 4.1°, significantly delaying droplet freezing time and reducing ice adhesion strength. Under simulated solar irradiation, the coating exhibits excellent photothermal performance, melting ice within 23 s and achieving a temperature rise from 25 to 75 °C in 240 s.

Key Takeaways:

• The developed anti-icing coating combines passive and active deicing capabilities, using carboxylated MWCNTs modified with FDTS to form CMPs.
• The coating exhibits exceptional hydrophobicity, with a WCA of 158° and a RA of 4.1°, significantly delaying droplet freezing time and reducing ice adhesion strength.
• Under simulated solar irradiation, the coating demonstrates excellent photothermal performance, melting ice within 23 s and achieving a temperature rise from 25 to 75 °C in 240 s.
• The coating's normal thermal conductivity reaches 1.92 W/(m·K), enhancing heat transfer efficiency and making it suitable for large-scale infrastructure applications.
• The developed coating has the potential to improve safety and reduce risks associated with ice formation on critical infrastructure in aviation, energy networks, and transportation systems.
• The coating's low cost and simple fabrication make it a promising solution for anti-icing applications in various industries.
• The research was conducted by a team of researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University, led by Rui Hu, and published in the journal Langmuir.

Statistics:

• Temperature rise: 25 to 75 °C in 240 s
• Ice melting time: 23 s
• Normal thermal conductivity: 1.92 W/(m·K)
• Water contact angle: 158°
• Roll-off angle: 4.1°
• Freezing time delay: 96 s to 634 s
• Ice adhesion strength: 38.5 kPa at -15 °C

Sources:

• VerticalNews: "New research on Nanotechnology - Carbon Nanotubes" (August 4, 2025)
• Langmuir: "Photothermal Anti-icing Coatings Composed of Spherical Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Modified Particles: Synergistic High-Efficiency Deicing and Superior Thermal Conductivity" (2025)
• Northwestern Polytechnical University: "Research on Carbon Nanotubes" (2025)
• Amer Chemical Soc: "Langmuir journal" (www.pubs.acs.org/journal/langd5)
• Rui Hu et al.: "Photothermal Anti-icing Coatings Composed of Spherical Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Modified Particles: Synergistic High-Efficiency Deicing and Superior Thermal Conductivity" (2025)