Anti-icing and Anti-fogging Superhydrophobic Coatings

Superhydrophobic coatings are well known in society and different industries because of their ability for self-cleaning. These coatings are used in multiple areas, including the marine and automotive sectors, optical devices, textiles, drag reduction, oil–water separation, sensors, anti-corrosion and anti-fouling coatings, batteries and many others. Although superhydrophobic coatings have attracted considerable interest for their useful properties, their practical application in the anti-fogging and anti-icing sectors is restricted because of technical challenges in achieving robust long-term durable superhydrophobicity. The use of superhydrophobic coatings on car windshields for self-cleaning and anti-fogging is a well-known application. It may be possible to use anti-icing and ice-phobic coatings to prevent effectively the accumulation of ice and diminish the strength of ice adhesion on aircraft surfaces. The anti-icing and anti-fogging applications of superhydrophobic coatings are the primary focus of this chapter.