A Bioinspired Micro‐Grooved Structure for Low Snow Adhesion and Effective Snow‐Shedding
Zexiang Yan, Zeyu Kong, Yalin Tang, Kun Zhang, Yang He, Weizheng Yuan
Abstract
Many outdoor devices require effective snow prevention solutions, yet existing passive anti-icing technologies are inadequate for snow repellency due to the variability of snow properties. This study addresses this gap by proposing a bioinspired micro-grooved anti-snow structure that minimizes van der Waals forces through reduced contact area and mitigates capillary effects via a V-shaped design, facilitating the separation of liquid water at the interface. Snow-shedding performance is shown to be highly sensitive to surface roughness, with the periodic smoothness of micro-grooves significantly reducing mechanical interlocking with snow. In contrast, hierarchical superhydrophobic structures strongly interlock with ice grains, preventing spontaneous snow-shedding even at extremely low adhesion forces. By embedding superhydrophobic nanoparticles into the micro-groove structure, this study presents a multifunctional design that integrates anti-icing, anti-snow, and water-repellent properties. Experimental results demonstrate that the structure effectively balances adhesion reduction and snow-shedding performance, showing promising potential for photovoltaic solar power systems and large-scale architectural applications.