Tunable MXene Surface Mediates Concurrent All-printed Ultrawideband Metasurface Absorbers and Anti-/deicing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Icing on high-altitude stealth vehicles degrades flight safety and radar stealth.
• Existing materials lack integrated broadband electromagnetic absorption and de-icing.
• MXene materials show promise but require enhanced stability and conductivity control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional material for stealth aircraft integrating broadband electromagnetic absorption and electrothermal de-icing.
• To enhance the stability and performance of MXene through surface modification and metasurface design.
• To achieve ultrathin, flexible, and scalable solutions for aerospace applications.

Main Methods:

• Covalent macromolecular grafting to improve MXene oxidation resistance and environmental stability.
• Co-design of 2D material surface and metasurface structures for electromagnetic absorption.
• High-resolution printed electronics for scalable fabrication of flexible metasurfaces.
• Evaluation of electromagnetic absorption bandwidth, anti-icing properties (contact angle), and de-icing time.

Main Results:

• Functionalized MXene exhibited enhanced oxidation resistance and environmental stability.
• The co-designed metasurface achieved >90% absorption across the full Ka-band (17.2 GHz) at an ultrathin profile (1.35 mm).
• The integrated system demonstrated passive anti-icing (110.8° contact angle) and rapid de-icing (<58 s).

Conclusions:

• Material and structural co-design synergistically enhances MXene performance for aerospace applications.
• The developed material offers a scalable pathway for next-generation intelligent aerospace platforms.
• This work provides a promising solution for critical flight safety and stealth challenges in aerospace.