Inhibition of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation by Bioinspired Coatings of Polyampholytes

Icephobic Durability of Molecular Brush-Structured PDMS Soft Coatings

The accumulation of ice can pose numerous inconveniences and potential hazards, profoundly affecting both human productivity and daily life. To combat the challenges posed by icing, extensive research efforts have been dedicated to the development of low-ice adhesion surfaces. In this study, we harness the power of molecular dynamics simulations to delve into the intricate dynamics of polymer chains and their role in determining the modulus of the material. We present a novel strategy to prepare ultralow-modulus poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomers with a molecular brush configuration as icephobic materials. The process involves grafting monohydride-terminated PDMS (H-PDMS) as side chains onto backbone chain PDMS with pendant vinyl functional groups to yield a molecular brush structure. The segments of this polymer structure effectively restrict interchain entanglement, thereby rendering a lower modulus compared to traditional linear structures at an equivalent cross-linking density. The developed soft coating exhibits a remarkably ultralow ice adhesion strength of 13.1 ± 1.1 kPa. Even after enduring 50 cycles of icing and deicing, the ice adhesion strength of this coating steadfastly stayed below 16 kPa, showing no notable increase. Importantly, the molecular brush coating applied to glass demonstrated an impressive light transmittance of 92.1% within the visible light spectrum, surpassing the transmittance of bare glass, which was measured at 91.3%. This icephobic coating with exceptional light transmittance offers a wide range of applications and holds significant potential as a practical icephobic material.

Advanced cryopreservation engineering strategies: the critical step to utilize stem cell products

With the rapid development of stem cell-related therapies and regenerative medicine, the clinical application of stem cell products is on the rise. However, ensuring the effectiveness of these products after storage and transportation remains a challenge in the transformation to clinical trials. Cryopreservation technology allows for the long-term storage of cells while ensuring viability, making it a top priority for stem cell preservation. The field of cryopreservation-related engineering technologies is thriving, and this review provides an overview of the background and basic principles of cryopreservation. It then delves into the main bioengineering technologies and strategies used in cryopreservation, including photothermal and electromagnetic rewarming, microencapsulation, and synergetic ice inhibition. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects in the field of efficient cryopreservation of stem cells are summarized and discussed.

Engineered Compounds to Control Ice Nucleation and Recrystallization

One of the greatest concerns in the subzero storage of cells, tissues, and organs is the ability to control the nucleation or recrystallization of ice. In nature, evidence of these processes, which aid in sustaining internal temperatures below the physiologic freezing point for extended periods of time, is apparent in freeze-avoidant and freeze-tolerant organisms. After decades of studying these proteins, we now have easily accessible compounds and materials capable of recapitulating the mechanisms seen in nature for biopreser-vation applications. The output from this burgeoning area of research can interact synergistically with other novel developments in the field of cryobiology, making it an opportune time for a review on this topic.

An Extreme-Environment-Resistant Self-Healing Anti-Icing Coating

Anti-icing coatings on outdoor infrastructures and transportations inevitably suffer from surface injuries, especially in extreme weather events (e.g., freezing weather or acid rain). The coating surface damage can result in anti-icing performance loss or even icing promotion. The development of anti-icing coatings that enables self-healing in extreme conditions is highly desired but still challenging. Herein, an extreme-environment-resistant self-healing anti-icing coating is developed by integrating fluorinated graphene (FG) into a supramolecular polymeric matrix. The coating exhibits both anti-icing and deicing performance (ice nucleation temperature is ≈-30.3 °C; ice shear strength is ≈48.7 kPa), mainly attributable to the hydrophobic FG and silicone-based supramolecular material. Notably, owing to the crosslinking polymeric network with various dynamic bonds, this coating can sustain anti-icing/deicing performance after autonomous self-healing under harsh conditions including low temperature (-20 °C), strong acid (pH = 0), and strong alkali (pH = 14) environments. This coating paves the way to meet the anti-icing demand in open air, especially for the infrastructures in polar regions or acid/alkali environments.

Recent advances of bio-inspired anti-icing surfaces

The need for improved anti-icing surfaces is the demand of the time and closely related to many important aspects of our lives as surface icing threatens not only industrial production but also human safety. Freezing on a cold surface is usually a heterogeneous nucleation process induced by the substrate. Creating an anti-icing surface is mainly achieved by changing surface morphology and chemistry to regulate the interaction between the surface and the water/ice to inhibit freezing on the surface. In this paper, recent research progress in the creation of biomimetic anti-icing surfaces is reviewed. Firstly, basic strategies of bionic anti-icing are introduced, and then bionic anti-icing surface strategies are reviewed according to four aspects: the process of ice formation, including condensate self-removing, inhibiting ice nucleation, reducing ice adhesion, and melting accumulated ice on the surface. The remaining challenges and the direction of future development of biomimetic anti-icing surfaces are also discussed.

Icephobic/anti-icing properties of superhydrophobic surfaces

In the winter, icing on solid surfaces is a typical occurrence that may create a slew of hassles and even tragedies. Anti-icing surfaces are one of the effective solutions for this kind of problem. The roughness of a superhydrophobic surface traps air and weakens the contact between the solid surface and liquid water, allowing water droplets to be removed before freezing. At present, the conventional anti-icing methods including mechanical or thermal technology are not only surface structure unfriendly but also have the obsessions of low efficiency, high energy consumption and high manufacturing costs. Hence, developing a way to remove ice by just modifying the surface shape or chemical composition with a low surface energy is extremely desirable. Numerous attempts have been made to investigate the evolution of ice nucleation and icing on superhydrophobic surfaces under the direction of the ice nucleation hypothesis. In this paper, the research progress of ice nucleation in recent years is reviewed from theoretical and application. The icephobic surfaces are described using the wettability and classical nucleation theories. The benefits and drawbacks of anti-icing superhydrophobic surface are summarized, as well as deicing methods. Finally, several applications of ice phobic materials are illustrated, and some problems and challenges in the research field are discussed. We believed that this review will be useful in guiding future water freezing initiatives.

Development of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) as anti-freezing agents for the frozen food industry: Water-tailoring effects, anti-freezing mechanisms and applications

Nature-inspired natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) as anti-freezing agents including Pro:Glc (5:3), Pro:Glc (1:1), Pro:Sor (1:1), and Urea:Glc:CaCl₂ (3:6:1) were prepared. Viscosity (η), conductivity (σ), activation energy of viscous flow (E_η) and conduction (E_ᴧ), transverse relaxation time (T₂), thermal behaviours, and anti-freezing capacities of the NADESs were investigated. A critical T₂ of 24.60 ms for η changes was obtained, and the relationship between η and T₂ was determined as lnη = -1.398lnT₂ + 10.688. Differentialscanningcalorimetry and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analyses indicated NADESs could hinder the molecular motion as temperature decreased through enhancing the hydrogen-bonding strength, endowing them with excellent anti-freezing capacity. NADESs showed varied E_η (41.58 ∼ 45.72 kJ mol^-1) and E_ᴧ (48.31 ∼ 63.08 kJ mol^-1), of which Pro:Sor (1:1) possessed the greatest ones, showing its greatest temperature sensitivity and best anti-frosting capacity. Applications in frozen chicken breast further announced the potentials of NADESs as anti-freezing agents for the industry.

Bioinspired materials and technology for advanced cryopreservation

Cryopreservation can help to meet the demand for biosamples of high medical value. However, it remains difficult to effectively cryopreserve some sensitive cells, tissues, and reproductive organs. A coordinated effort from the perspective of the whole frozen biological system is necessary to advance cryopreservation technology. Animals that survive in cold temperatures, such as hibernators and cold-tolerant insects, offer excellent natural models. Their anti-cold strategies, such as programmed suppression of metabolism and the synthesis of cryoprotectants (CPAs), warrant systematic study. Furthermore, the discovery and synthesis of metabolism-regulating and cryoprotective biomaterials, combined with biotechnological breakthroughs, can also promote the development of cryopreservation. Further advances in the quality and duration of biosample storage inspired by nature will promote the application of cryopreserved biosamples in clinical therapy.

High Sub-Zero Organ Preservation: A Paradigm of Nature-Inspired Strategies

The field of organ preservation is filled with advancements that have yet to see widespread clinical translation, with some of the more notable strategies deriving their inspiration from nature. While static cold storage (SCS) at 2 °C to 4 °C is the current state-of-the-art, it contributes to the current shortage of transplantable organs due to the limited preservation times it affords combined with the limited ability of marginal grafts (i.e. those at risk for post-transplant dysfunction or primary non-function) to tolerate SCS. The era of storage solution optimization to minimize SCS-induced hypothermic injury has plateaued in its improvements, resulting in a shift towards the use of machine perfusion systems to oxygenate organs at normothermic, sub-normothermic, or hypothermic temperatures, as well as the use of sub-zero storage temperatures to leverage the protection brought forth by a reduction in metabolic demand. Many of the rigors that organs are subjected to at low sub-zero temperatures (-80 °C to -196 °C) commonly used for mammalian cell preservation have yet to be surmounted. Therefore, this article focuses on an intermediate temperature range (0 °C to -20 °C), where much success has been seen in the past two decades. The mechanisms leveraged by organisms capable of withstanding prolonged periods at these temperatures through either avoiding or tolerating the formation of ice has provided a foundation for some of the more promising efforts. This article therefore aims to contextualize the translation of these strategies into the realm of mammalian organ preservation.

Ice Inhibition for Cryopreservation: Materials, Strategies, and Challenges

Cryopreservation technology has developed into a fundamental and important supporting method for biomedical applications such as cell-based therapeutics, tissue engineering, assisted reproduction, and vaccine storage. The formation, growth, and recrystallization of ice crystals are the major limitations in cell/tissue/organ cryopreservation, and cause fatal cryoinjury to cryopreserved biological samples. Flourishing anti-icing materials and strategies can effectively regulate and suppress ice crystals, thus reducing ice damage and promoting cryopreservation efficiency. This review first describes the basic ice cryodamage mechanisms in the cryopreservation process. The recent development of chemical ice-inhibition molecules, including cryoprotectant, antifreeze protein, synthetic polymer, nanomaterial, and hydrogel, and their applications in cryopreservation are summarized. The advanced engineering strategies, including trehalose delivery, cell encapsulation, and bioinspired structure design for ice inhibition, are further discussed. Furthermore, external physical field technologies used for inhibiting ice crystals in both the cooling and thawing processes are systematically reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives in the field of ice inhibition for high-efficiency cryopreservation are proposed.

The properties, biotechnologies, and applications of antifreeze proteins

By natural selection, organisms evolve different solutions to cope with extremely cold weather. The emergence of an antifreeze protein gene is one of the most momentous solutions. Antifreeze proteins possess an importantly functional ability for organisms to survive in cold environments and are widely found in various cold-tolerant species. In this review, we summarize the origin of antifreeze proteins, describe the diversity of their species-specific properties and functions, and highlight the related biotechnology on the basis of both laboratory tests and bioinformatics analysis. The most recent advances in the applications of antifreeze proteins are also discussed. We expect that this systematic review will contribute to the comprehensive knowledge of antifreeze proteins to readers.

Metal-catechol complexes mediate ice nucleation

The capability of mediating ice nucleation is pertinent to a broad range of fields. Herein, inspired by metal-catechol coordination found in adhesive proteins in which catechol moieties can construct strong complexes with a diverse array of metal ions, we develop a platform for mediating ice nucleation based on metal-catechol complexes and demonstrate that ice nucleation can be successively mediated by varying the characteristics and valence of the metal in metal-catechol complexes.

Icephobic Strategies and Materials with Superwettability: Design Principles and Mechanism

Ice formation and accretion on surfaces is a serious economic issue in energy supply and transportation. Recent strategies for developing icephobic surfaces are intimately associated with superwettability. Commonly, the superwettability of icephobic materials depends on their surface roughness and chemical composition. This article critically categorizes the possible strategies to mitigate icing problems from daily life. The wettability and classical nucleation theories are used to characterize the icephobic surfaces. Thermodynamically, the advantages/disadvantages of superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed to explain icephobic behavior. The importance of elasticity, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs), amphiphilicity, antifreezing protein, organogels, and stimuli-responsive materials has been highlighted to induce icephobic performance. In addition, the design principles and mechanism to fabricate icephobic surfaces with superwettability are explored and summarized.

Formation of Icephobic Surface with Micron-Scaled Hydrophobic Heterogeneity on Polyurethane Aerospace Coating

Development of an anti-icing surface on a desired industrial coating patch/object has been the persistent challenge to several industries, such as aviation and wind power. For this aim, performing surface modification to implement the icephobic property on existing commercial coatings is important for practical applications. This work accomplishes an icephobic coating overlying a PPG aerospace polyurethane coating. It manifests a clear capability to delay the formation of frost as well as to reduce the adhesion strength of ice. This icephobic coating is sustained by a unique hydrophobic heterogeneity in the micron-scale of segregation, which is realized through solution casting of a specific copolymer consisting of random rigid and soft segments, namely poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(lauryl methacrylate-2-hydroxy-3-(1-amino dodecyl)propyl methacrylate), respectively. A wrinkled pattern developed over the coating is observed because of the diverse traits between these two segments. Besides, the OH/NH groups of the soft segment are crosslinked by a diisocyanate monomer upon drying and curing to strengthen the coating. More importantly, integration of a small dose of paraffin wax into the copolymer induces a spread of soft microdomains on the winkled pattern surface. It is hypothesized that these dual heterogeneous assemblies are responsible for the icephobicity since they instigate distinct interactions with condensed water droplets. Lastly, the thermoelectric cooling (Peltier effect) and the adhesion strength of ice on the typical coatings were assessed. This investigation also includes examination on the icephobic durability of coating, which is enhanced when a small amount of polyethylene oligomer is incorporated into the coating.

Tuning Ice Nucleation and Propagation with Counterions on Multilayer Hydrogels

Ice formation on solid surfaces includes heterogeneous ice nucleation and ice propagation processes. However, no study has been focused on tuning of both ice nucleation and ice propagation via a simple anti-icing coating method. In this work, we have prepared multilayer hydrogels based on simple layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition approach and discover the ion-specific effect on both ice nucleation and ice propagation. A large ice nucleation temperature window of 11 °C is controlled via changing different counterions; meanwhile, the differences in ice propagation time can be tuned up to 4 orders of magnitude. Through synergistically controlling of ice nucleation and propagation delay times, we can tune the freezing delay time of water droplets on multilayer hydrogel surfaces up to 3 orders of magnitude via changing various counterions. Considering the application requirements, these multilayer hydrogels are stable under different conditions and can be coated on various materials without destroying the existing surface. This new insight can inspire the design of anti-icing surfaces based on regulating both ice nucleation and ice propagation.

Enhancing the Mechanical Durability of Icephobic Surfaces by Introducing Autonomous Self-Healing Function

Ice accretion presents a severe risk for human safety. Although great efforts have been made for developing icephobic surfaces (the surface with an ice adhesion strength below 100 kPa), expanding the lifetime of state-of-the-art icephobic surfaces still remains a critical unsolved issue. Herein, a novel icephobic material is designed by integrating an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) into an autonomous self-healing elastomer, which is applied in anti-icing for enhancing the mechanical durability. The molecular structure, surface morphology, mechanical properties, and durable icephobicity of the material were studied. The creep behaviors of the new icephobic material, which were absent in most relevant studies on self-healing materials, were also investigated in this work. Significantly, the material showed great potentials for anti-icing applications with an ultralow ice adhesion strength of 6.0 ± 0.9 kPa, outperforming many other icephobic surfaces. The material also exhibited an extraordinary durability, showing a very low long-term ice adhesion strength of ∼12.2 kPa after 50 icing/deicing cycles. Most importantly, the material was able to exhibit a self-healing property from mechanical damages in a sufficiently short time, which shed light on the longevity of icephobic surfaces in practical applications.

Fabrication of Anti-Icing Surfaces by Short α-Helical Peptides

We designed 12-amino acid peptides as antifreeze protein (AFP) mimetics and tuned the antifreeze activity of the peptides by their structures. Moreover, these short peptides were first immobilized to surfaces as an anti-icing coating. We discovered that the peptides with higher antifreeze activity exhibited better anti-icing performance. It is the first time that short peptides were successfully applied to fabricate anti-icing surfaces, which is certainly advantageous in comparison to the AFP anti-icing coatings previously reported.

Control of ice nucleation: freezing and antifreeze strategies

Water freezing remains a perennial topic of great relevance to many important aspects of our lives; from the climate to human society and from economics to medicine, frozen water profoundly influences our living environment and life activities.