, shows a simple electrochemical method for fabricating nanowire assemblies with controlled pattern, hierarchy, and size. This enables the simultaneous presentation of photothermal, thermal conductive, and superhydrophobic properties, which are otherwise impossible for conventional surfaces.
Ice and frost buildup continuously pose significant challenges across various fields, ranging from cryogenic freezing of nanoscale cells to flight of macroscale aircraft. Recent interest has centered on photothermal surfaces with superhydrophobicity capable of being heated by sunlight, a green energy source abundant on the earth. However, most surfaces suffer from localized and uneven heating due to the inferior thermal conductivity. Thus, further assembling these surface properties with thermally conductive materials, especially metals, holds great potential for de-icing and defrosting, which, yet, remains largely unexplored.