Ti3C2Tx-Based Materials and Coatings for De-Icing and Defogging of Wind Turbine Blades: Materials Basis, Structural Design, Engineering Integration, and Future Opportunities

In cold, humid environments, even a small amount of ice accumulation on the blade surface can degrade aerodynamic performance, increase drag, induce premature stall and vibration, and raise the risks of shutdown, fatigue, and ice throw. Existing blade anti-icing and de-icing strategies (such as passive coatings, electrothermal heating, hot-air systems, and hybrid designs) struggle to simultaneously meet the requirements of lightweight construction, low-voltage rapid heating, conformability to curved surfaces, erosion resistance, long-term durability, and scalable manufacturing. MXenes, particularly Ti3C2Tx, have attracted attention due to their high electrical conductivity, broadband optical absorption, solution processability, tunable interfacial chemistry, and good compatibility with polymer matrices. However, their oxidation issue and blade-scale deployment challenges (coating chemistry, scalable fabrication, real-world testing) remain obstacles. Based on this, this review discusses Ti3C2Tx-based anti-icing, de-icing, and defogging strategies for wind turbine blades, with emphasis on material properties, functional mechanisms, coating architectures, fabrication routes, durability, and scalability, and highlights their potential for lightweight and energy-efficient all-weather blade protection. Finally, future research directions for Ti3C2Tx-based blade anti-icing and de-icing are prospected. This review not only aims to identify key knowledge gaps in current research but also strives to provide a theoretical reference for the application of Ti3C2Tx in the complex service environment of real wind turbine blades, thereby moving beyond idealized laboratory conditions.