| dc.description.abstract | Gel materials have drawn great attention recently in the anti-icing research community due to their remarkable potentials for reducing ice adhesion, inhibiting ice nucleation, and restricting ice propagation. Although the current anti-icing gels are in its infancy and far from practical application due to the poor durability, their outstanding prospect of icephobicity has already shed light on a new group of emerging anti-icing materials. There is a need for a timely review to consolidate the new trends and foster the development towards dedicated applications. Starting from the stages of icing, we first survey the relevant anti-icing strategies. The latest anti-icing gels are then categorized by their liquid phases into organogels, hydrogels, and ionogels. At the same time, the current research focuses, anti-icing mechanisms as well as shortcomings affiliated with each category are carefully analysed. Based upon the reported state-of-the-art anti-icing research and our own experience in polymer-based anti-icing materials, suggestions for future development of the anti-icing gels are presented, including pathways to enhance durability, needs to build up the missing fundamentals, and possibility to enable stimuli responsive properties. The primary aim of this review is to motivate the researchers in both the anti-icing and gel research communities for a synchronized effort to rapidly advance the understanding and making of gels-based next generation anti-icing materials. | en_US |
