A laser-processed micro/nanostructures surface and its photothermal de-icing and self-cleaning performance

Weiling Wang; Jinlin Chang; Lei Chen; Ding Weng; Yadong Yu; Yacong Hou; Guoxu Yu; Jiadao Wang; Xueguang Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.10.158

A laser-processed micro/nanostructures surface and its photothermal de-icing and self-cleaning performance

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Feb:655:307-318. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.10.158. Epub 2023 Nov 5.

Authors

Weiling Wang¹, Jinlin Chang², Lei Chen³, Ding Weng², Yadong Yu², Yacong Hou², Guoxu Yu², Jiadao Wang⁴, Xueguang Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: leichen16@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: jdwang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China. Electronic address: wxg228@shu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37944378
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.10.158

Abstract

Micro/nanostructures have garnered significant attention and widespread applications in areas such as photocatalysis, coated fabrics, microchips, and sensors. However, high-resolution and multifunctional micro/nanostructures fabrication remains a great challenge. In this work, a novel self-assembly-femtosecond laser processing for the regular micro squares and nano bumps surface on steel substrates is proposed, and a great potential in the field of anti-icing/de-icing and self-cleaning is demonstrated. The surface tension gradient-driven liquid-air self-assembly provides a silica microsphere monolayer, while the post-femtosecond laser process can give precise micro/nano decoration. We systematically explore the impact of laser repetition frequency, scanning speed, and laser incident power on the size and shape of micro/nano decorations that have been studied. The different performances of self-cleaning effects, ice adhesion, and the photothermal de-icing capability due to the change in surface wettability have been demonstrated. This research shows a new pathway for the creation of smart micro/nanostructures surface which possess stable super hydrophilic and highly adhesive superhydrophobic properties, as well as high abrasion resistance. The discovery achieves a suitable blend of multiple functions on the surface of a single material, which can be applied to various surface engineering fields.

Keywords: De-icing; Laser near-field processing; Micro/nanostructure fabrication; Self-assembly; Self-cleaning.