Ice‐Shedding Endurance Enhancement of Lubricated Polyurethane NP‐GLIDE Coating Through Dual Cross‐Linking with Covalent and Hydrogen Bonds

Abstract

AbstractAn NP‐GLIDE coating, featuring a liquid‐like polymer brush layer on its surface and nanopools of a grafted liquid ingredient for dewetting enablement within its matrix, is normally covalently cross‐linked (CX). This paper introduces a dually cross‐linked (DX) NP‐GLIDE coating, employing urethane bonds and H─bonds for crosslinking. Both the DX and CX coatings, utilizing poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) as the dewetting enabler, exhibit low ice adhesion strengths (τ). Post‐lubrication with silicone oil (SO), ice is readily shed under gravity from the coatings. The DX coating maintains low τ over numerous icing/de‐icing cycles, outlasting the CX coating. This durability is likely due to the lubricant‐loss‐responsive nature of the DX matrix. The matrix increases its H─bond cross‐links responding to lubricant loss and the cross‐linking density increase triggers additional lubricant release into the PDMS brush layer. This cyclic process persists over time. Under optimal conditions after 31 icing/de‐icing cycles, the lubricated DX coating demonstrates an impressively low τ of 1.8 ± 0.5 kPa. In contrast, the lubricated CX counterpart has a τ of 32 ± 11 kPa, while plain glass records a τ of 325 ± 14 kPa. This study underscores the significant potential of dual cross‐linking for enhancing ice‐shedding endurance of coatings.