Full Life Cycle Deicing and Efficient Anti-Icing Surface on Polymers with Triple Thermal Conversion Capability.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Superhydrophobic surfaces are vital for anti-icing and deicing applications.
• Abrasion often compromises the long-term deicing performance of existing surfaces.
• Achieving full life cycle deicing remains a significant challenge in material design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a superhydrophobic surface with multi-modal deicing capabilities for comprehensive anti-icing and deicing.
• To investigate the impact of abrasion on the deicing performance of the developed surface.
• To demonstrate the adaptability and scalability of the surface for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a graphene@NiO/Ni surface on polymers using laser activation, electroless plating, and electroplating.
• Characterization of surface hydrophobicity, icing delay, and deicing performance under photothermal, electrothermal, and magnetothermal stimuli.
• Evaluation of mechanical robustness and performance degradation/enhancement after abrasion.

Main Results:

• The graphene@NiO/Ni surface exhibited excellent hydrophobicity (162.9° ± 2.3°) and delayed icing (1377.7 ± 180.3 s).
• Efficient photothermal (150.0 ± 11.5 s) and electrothermal (141.3 ± 11.7 s) deicing were achieved.
• Abrasion degraded photo-/electrothermal deicing but enhanced magnetothermal deicing (41.0 ± 4.0 s), enabling full life cycle deicing.
• The surface demonstrated patternability, scalability, and compatibility with various substrates.

Conclusions:

• The developed graphene@NiO/Ni surface offers a robust solution for anti-icing and full life cycle deicing through adaptable multi-modal strategies.
• The surface's unique response to abrasion, enhancing magnetothermal deicing, ensures functionality throughout its operational life.
• This approach provides a valuable framework for designing advanced deicing materials for diverse applications.