Work

Flexible, Biodegradable Superhydrophobic Paper with Excellent Photothermal Performance for Anti‐Icing/De‐Icing and Thermoelectric Power Generation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The icing phenomenon causes great harm to the economy, industrial production, and public safety. Although photothermal superhydrophobic materials are recognized as promising solutions for anti‐icing/de‐icing, the prevalent use of non‐biodegradable materials poses significant challenges to sustainable anti‐icing applications. This study develops an eco‐friendly photothermal superhydrophobic paper modified by polydopamine (PDA) and octadecylamine (ODA), with a water contact angle of 160.5°. Its delayed icing times of a 10 µL droplet at −20°C, −15°C, and −10°C are 222, 521, and 756 s, respectively. Based on the excellent photothermal performance, the temperature of the superhydrophobic paper increases to 79.9°C under 1 kW·m −2 sunlight irradiation. It exhibits outstanding photothermal de‐icing capabilities, completely melting the ice particle (10 µL) within 224 s at −10°C (sunlight, 1 kW·m −2 ) and 30 s at −20°C (near‐infrared light, 1 W·cm −2 ). Furthermore, the photothermal effect enables energy conversion via a thermoelectric (TE) module, generating an open‐circuit voltage of 147 mV, a short‐circuit current of 38.5 mA, and an output power density of 88.125 µW·cm −2 under 1 kW·m −2 sunlight irradiation. This flexible, biodegradable photothermal superhydrophobic paper has potential applications in anti‐icing/de‐icing and thermoelectric power generation in harsh environments.

Source: Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202514633