Renewable Plant Oil-Based Polysiloxane Coatings with Efficient Frost Resistance and Anti-Icing Properties

Frost-resistant and anti-icing polymeric coatings are widely used for various industries for the extremely low temperatures that often appear in winter. Among different icephobic materials, nontoxic fluorine-free polysiloxanes with a low surface energy present tremendous potential to be utilized as passive icephobic coatings. However, conventional polysiloxanes from limited petroleum-based feedstocks potentially lead to serious resource crisis and environmental concerns. In this work, renewable plant oil-based polysiloxanes were prepared and exploited as passive frost-resistant and anti-icing materials. Renewable plant oil-based diene monomers were polymerized with 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane through highly efficient hydrosilylation reactions to yield polysiloxanes. The optimized polysiloxane coating is efficient for the removal of the accumulated ice/frost by natural forces such as wind blowing and gravity. The icephobic coating has an ice adhesion strength as low as 84.8 kPa, presenting great potential for efficient anti-icing and frost-resistant applications. The eminent passive anti-icing and frost resistance properties of the renewable plant oil-based polysiloxane coating could be attributed to its combination of low crystallinity and high chain mobility. The development of biomass-based polysiloxanes offers us an efficient route to access high value-added passive frost-resistant and anti-icing coatings.