Robust anti-icing performance of silicon wafer with hollow micro-/nano-structured ZnO

A novel silicon-based robust anti-icing surface with hollow micro-/nano-structured ZnO (HMN) is investigated. The droplet could not freeze in 30 min under low temperature of -15 degrees C, while that performance fails on the nano-structured and smooth surfaces. The cooling period of temperature fields on liquid droplet and the base are observed, which indicates that the air layer has a significant effect on the performance of the anti-icing surface. The results prove that the hollow micro-structure layer provides much more air than the nano-structured layer and induces the maximum thermal resistance, leading to its icephobic property. In this finding, HMN provides large thermal resistance between the base and liquid droplet and easily realizes long lasting anti-icing performance under lower temperature. This new concept is expected to be used in the fields of anti-icing, superhydrophobicity, insulation, thermal resistance, etc. (C) 2018 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.