Micro-/Nano-Scale Interfacial Regulation of Freezing in Multi-Component Aqueous Systems: From Ice Formation Mechanisms to Functional Applications

Freezing is a ubiquitous phase change process that shapes natural environments and engineering systems, from hazardous ice accretion to freezing-enabled technologies. Beyond being an undesired product, ice is increasingly recognized as a functional and processable material whose formation, structure, and dynamics can be regulated to achieve specific functions. Over the past two decades, rapid advances have revealed how micro-/nano-scale interfacial effects govern ice formation. This review provides a mechanism-oriented overview of freezing in aqueous systems, organized around two representative situations, namely freezing in bulk phase and freezing on cold surfaces, and three central stages: nucleation, crystal growth, and recrystallization. The discussion progresses from pure water to multi-component aqueous systems, including solutions and dispersions, to clarify both their distinct freezing behaviors and their shared interfacial principles. Representative applications in energy, environmental engineering, materials manufacturing, and biomedicine are further summarized, highlighting how controlled ice formation enables functional performance across diverse fields. By linking freezing physics with interfacial materials regulation, this review aims to establish a unified framework for understanding and designing ice-mediated processes in complex aqueous systems.