Recent Advances in Superhydrophobic and Icephobic Surfaces, Second Edition

Dear Colleagues,

I invite you to submit your recent research to the Special Issue “Recent Advances in Superhydrophobic and Icephobic Surfaces, Second Edition”. Bio-inspired by nature, superhydrophobic surfaces have been utilized in various applications, including self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fouling, anti-fogging, anti-corrosion, oil/water separation, sensors, and energy storage devices. The long-term use and maintenance of superhydrophobicity in harsh environments remain significant challenges in practical applications, which we strive to overcome by rationally designing mechanically durable superhydrophobic surfaces. Due to their excellent water repellency, superhydrophobic surfaces can be applied in the field of anti-icing. However, they can lose their icephobicity due to many factors (i.e., condensation, the interlocking effect between the ice and the interface, the sustainability of their low surface energy); thus, we welcome the submission of research regarding the similarities, distinctions, and relationships between superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces.

Although the accumulation of ice on exposed surfaces is unavoidable as time elapses and temperatures lower sufficiently, to solve such a problem, various types of icephobic surfaces have been developed, including superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs), aqueous lubricating layers, organic lubricating layers, organogels, polyelectrolyte brush layers, electrolyte-based hydrogels, multi-crack initiator-promoted surfaces, etc. Generally, two important properties in the design of icephobic surfaces are a low ice adhesion strength and mechanical durability after icing/de-icing cycles. Moreover, very recently, the use of active de-icing approaches (utilizing magnetic responsive, electro-thermal, and photo-thermal stimuli) and passive icephobic surfaces has been combined for the realization of rapid and reliable de-icing.

In short, the aim of this Special Issue is to summarize recent experimental and computational advances in research on both superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces. We hope to open new pathways for further study in these areas.

In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The design and preparation of superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces;
• Various applications of superhydrophobic surfaces;
• The sustainability and durability of superhydrophobicity;
• Correlations between superhydrophobicity and icephobicity;
• The icing delay time on icephobic surfaces;
• Low-ice-adhesion-strength surfaces;
• Durable icephobic surfaces;
• Anti-icing mechanisms;
• Active de-icing approaches (using electro-thermal or photo-thermal stimuli);
• Multi-scale simulations of superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces.

I look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Zhiwei He
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• self-cleaning
• repellency
• anti-icing
• icing delay time
• ice adhesion strength

• Recent Advances in Superhydrophobic and Icephobic Surfaces in Coatings (11 articles)