Passive Anti-Icing and Active Deicing Films

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 8; no. 22; pp. 14169 - 14173
• Main Authors: Wang, Tuo, Zheng, Yonghao, Raji, Abdul-Rahman O, Li, Yilun, Sikkema, William K. A, Tour, James M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 08-06-2016
• Subjects: deicing; graphene nanoribbon; spray-coat; lubricant; superhydrophobic; anti-icing
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b03060

Anti-icing and deicing are the two major pathways for suppressing adhesion of ice on surfaces, yet materials with dual capabilities are rare. In this work, we have designed a perfluorododecylated graphene nanoribbon (FDO-GNR) film that takes advantage of both the low polarizability of perfluorinated carbons and the intrinsic conductive nature of graphene nanoribbons. The FDO-GNR films are superhydrophobic with a sheet resistance below 8 kΩ·sq–1 and then exhibit an anti-icing property that prevents freezing of incoming ice-cold water down to −14 °C. After that point, voltage can be applied to the films to resistively heat and deice the surface. Further a lubricating liquid can be employed to create a slippery surface to improve the film’s deicing performance. The FDO-GNR films can be easily switched between the superhydrophobic anti-icing mode and the slippery deicing mode by applying the lubricant. A spray-coating method makes it suitable for large-scale applications. The anti-icing and deicing properties render the FDO-GNR films with promise for use in extreme environments.