Efficient Photothermal Anti-/Deicing Enabled by 3D Cu 2-x S Encapsulated Phase Change Materials Mixed Superhydrophobic Coatings.

Photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces are one of the most promising anti-/deicing materials, yet they are limited by the low energy density and intermittent nature of the solar energy. Here, a coupling solution based on microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCMs) that integrates photothermal effect and phase change thermal storage is proposed. We design dual-shell octahedral MPCMs with Cu 2 O as the first layer and three-dimensional Cu 2-x S as the second layer for the first time. By morphology and phase manipulation of the Cu 2-x S shell, the local surface plasmonic heating modulation of MPCMs is realized, and the MPCM reveals full-spectrum high absorption with a photothermal conversion efficiency up to 96.1%. The phase change temperature and enthalpy remain in good consistency after 200 cycles. Multifunctional photothermal phase-change superhydrophobic composite coatings are fabricated by combining the hydrolyzed and polycondensation product of octadecyl trichlorosilane and the dual-shell MPCM. The multifunctional coatings exhibit excellent anti-/deicing performance under low temperature and high humidity conditions. Our work not only provides a new approach for the design of high-performance MPCMs, but also opens up a avenue for the anti-icing application of photothermal phase-change superhydrophobic composite coatings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.