Autonomous Self-Repairing Low-Modulus Elastic Coatings Based on Dynamically Cross-Linked Polydimethylsiloxane for Deicing

Passive anti-icing and deicing techniques based on icephobic coatings have received a great deal of interest. Although they have numerous advantages in terms of energy consumption and environmental sustainability, they may face environmental-adaptability challenges. Mechanical damage would unavoidably roughen the surfaces, reducing the stability and durability of the icephobic performance. To address this issue, we develop self-repairing low-modulus elastic coatings from PDMS covalent adaptable networks (CANs). PDMS CANs are dynamically cross-linked by dioxaborolane, which can undergo an exchange reaction, allowing for topological rearrangements and the autonomous self-repair of CANs. The cross-linking density of CANs varies by altering chemical formulations, and its influences on mechanical properties, self-repairing behavior, and icephobic properties are explored for PDMS CANs. To further lower the ice adhesion strength, silicone oil is added into PDMS CANs. The connection between the icephobic characteristics and oil content is further investigated. The best achieved with 40 wt % oil is ∼14 kPa, and it exhibits good durability throughout icing–deicing cycles. This work demonstrates the potential of self-repairing low-modulus elastic coatings for deicing applications.