Efficient Photothermal Anti‐/Deicing Enabled by 3D Cu_2‐xS Encapsulated Phase Change Materials Mixed Superhydrophobic Coatings

Abstract 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 solar energy. Here, a coupling solution based on microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCMs) that integrates photothermal effect and phase change thermal storage is proposed. Dual‐shell octahedral MPCMs with Cu₂O as the first layer and 3D Cu_2‐xS as the second layer for the first time is designed. By morphology and phase manipulation of the Cu_2‐xS 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 products of octadecyl trichlorosilane and the dual‐shell MPCM. The multifunctional coatings exhibit excellent anti‐/deicing performance under low temperature and high humidity conditions. This work not only provides a new approach for the design of high‐performance MPCMs but also opens up an avenue for the anti‐icing application of photothermal phase‐change superhydrophobic composite coatings.