Fabrication of bioinspired coral reef-like superhydrophobic coating via interfacial polymerization: Towards all-weather high-viscosity oil remediation and de-icing performance.

Developing materials with integrated photothermal and Joule heating capabilities is essential for achieving efficient all-weather remediation of high-viscosity crude oil and de-icing in harsh environments. Herein, a bioinspired coral-reef structured multifunctional coating (HDTMS@PPy@COF@AC) was fabricated via a biomimetic interfacial polymerization strategy. This composite integrated a covalent organic framework (COF) for efficient thermal conduction, a polypyrrole (PPy) for photothermal and Joule heating conversion, and a hexadecamethyldisiloxane (HDTMS) for superhydrophobicity. The micro-nano coral-reef architecture resulted in excellent superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 152.7°. The material exhibited outstanding absorption capacity toward various oils/organic solvents (10.2-24.8 g/g) and superior oil-water separation efficiency. Under 1.0 kW/m2 solar illumination, the surface temperature rapidly reached 80.8 °C within 3 min. Meanwhile, a 9 V voltage drove a steep temperature rise to 119.2 °C in just 40 s, enabling efficient viscosity reduction of high-viscosity crude oils for rapid absorption. Notably, through the synergy of photothermal and Joule heating dual modes (0.5 kW/m2 and 4.5 V), the material achieved rapid absorption of high-viscosity crude oil (120 s) and de-icing (60 s), thereby significantly reducing energy consumption. In conclusion, HDTMS@PPy@COF@AC fabricated by bionic structural design and multifunctional synergistic effect provides a new pathway for large-scale marine crude oil cleaning and de-icing applications.