Icephobic approach on hierarchical structure polymer thin-film

In this study, we emphasised the anti-icing effects of the two-scale structure fabricated on Ecoflex thin film in several criteria for icephobic applications. The functional thin film was achieved by combining the low surface tension lubricant with a hierarchical structure, which was generated by the dry ion etching method. The anti-icing performance including adhesion strength, ice repellency, and durability was then compared with as-received substrate and non-slippery surface to demonstrate the superiority of two-scale texture in all mentioned criteria. The slippery hierarchical thin film exhibited outstanding performance with extremely low ice-surface adhesion strength, high ice repellency, and durability. This offers a new facile approach and proposed a unique design for icephobic applications such as wild shields, smart devices, cooling systems, and other outdoor equipment