Physics

Meteorology

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Photothermal therapy

Membrane

Humidity

Engineering

Water vapor

Composite material

Supersaturation

Chemistry

Materials science

Condensation

Desalination

Icing

Chemical engineering

Optoelectronics

Biochemistry

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

The inhibition of condensation freezing under extreme conditions (i.e., ultra-low temperature and high humidity) remains a daunting challenge in the field of anti-icing. As water vapor easily condensates or desublimates and melted water refreezes instantly, these cause significant performance decrease of most anti-icing surfaces at such extreme conditions. Herein, inspired by wheat leaves, an effective condensate self-removing solar anti-icing/frosting surface (CR-SAS) is fabricated using ultrafast pulsed laser deposition technology, which exhibits synergistic effects of enhanced condensate self-removal and efficient solar anti-icing. The superblack CR-SAS displays superior anti-reflection and photothermal conversion performance, benefiting from the light trapping effect in the micro/nano hierarchical structures and the thermoplasmonic effect of the iron oxide nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the CR-SAS displays superhydrophobicity to condensed water, which can be instantly shed off from the surface before freezing through self-propelled droplet jumping, thus leading to a continuously refreshed dry area available for sunlight absorption and photothermal conversion. Under one-sun illumination, the CR-SAS can be maintained ice free even under an ambient environment of -50 °C ultra-low temperature and extremely high humidity (ice supersaturation degree of ∼260). The excellent environmental versatility, mechanical durability, and material adaptability make CR-SAS a promising anti-icing candidate for broad practical applications even in harsh environments.

Solar anti-icing surface with enhanced condensate self-removing at extreme environmental conditions