How Surface Macrotextures Influence the Interactions between an Impacting Water Drop and a Non-Wetting Substrate in Supercooled Conditions?

When a water drop impacts a supercooled surface, it may freeze and adhere to it. Superhydrophobic surfaces are widely used as anti-icing solutions due to their ability to delay icing and reduce ice adhesion strength. Previous studies have shown that adding macrotextures to a superhydrophobic surface can reduce the contact time of an impacting drop by splitting it into smaller droplets. However, it remains unclear how an impacting water drop interacts with macrotextured non-wetting surfaces at freezing temperature. In this study, we demonstrate how surface macrotextured geometry can influence impact dynamics and freezing, with the goal of enhancing the anti-icing capability of the substrate. This research aims to provide deeper insights into optimizing surface designs for better water repellency below its freezing point.