Flower-like Particles Research Articles

GREEN ROUTE SYNTHESIS OF COPPER OXIDE (CuO) NANOPARTICLES FOR THE DEGRADATION OF COMMERCIAL DYES USING VICIA FABA LEAF EXTRACT

The release of toxic dyes into water effluents by various industries has become a global concern. Therefore, developing novel, straightforward, and economically viable methods or materials for purifying these hazardous pigments is imperative. This study aims to synthesize copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) through a green route using Vicia faba leaf extract. UV-Vis spectroscopy reveals an absorption band ranging from 200 nm to 300 nm, with a major absorption peak at 212 nm and an energy band gap of 5.29 eV. FTIR, SEM, EDX, and XRD techniques characterise the synthesised CuO nanoparticles. FTIR analysis identifies functional groups including hydroxyl (OH), aromatic C-H, C=C stretching, carbonyl (C=O), and Cu-O stretching vibrations. Scanning electron microscopy reveals flower-like particles, while EDX analysis confirms the formation of CuO nanoparticles. The XRD pattern indicates a crystalline structure with an average particle size of 27.44 nm. A plot of (αhν)² versus photon energy (hν) was generated to determine the energy band gap, yielding a value of 5.29 eV. Rhodamine-B and methylene blue (MB) dyes were employed to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation of the synthesized CuO-NPs, resulting in correlation coefficients of 0.7154and 0.9702, respectively. Furthermore, the rate constants of these dye reactions were found to be 0.0406min-¹ and0.0343 min-¹.

Abalone shells bioenhanced carboxymethyl chitosan/collagen/PLGA bionic hybrid scaffolds achieving biomineralization and osteogenesis for bone regeneration

Inspired by the formation of natural abalone shells (AS) similar to calcium salt deposition in human orthodontics, AS is used as an emulsifier in the scaffold to solve the problem of coexistence of natural and synthetic polymers and promote new bone formation. In this study, AS-stabilized and reinforced carboxymethyl chitosan/collagen/PLGA porous bionic composite scaffolds (AS/CMCS/Col/PLGA) were fabricated through the emulsion polymerization and bionic hybrid technology. As the addition of AS increased from 0.75 to 3.0 wt%, homogeneous distribution of flower-like particles could be observed on the inner surface of the scaffold, and its mechanical properties were improved. Particularly, 3.0 wt% AS-doped scaffolds (S3 and C + S3) exhibited excellent inorganic mineral deposition and osteoblast proliferation and differentiation abilities in vitro. In a SD rat calvarial defect model, they effectively promoted new bone formation in the defect and accelerated expression of osteogenic-angiogenic related proteins (COLI, OCN, VEGF). By virtue of its combined merits including good mechanical properties, inducing mineralization crystallization and facilitating osteogenesis, the 3.0 wt% AS-doped scaffold promises to be employed as a novel bone repair material for bone tissue regeneration.

A novel hydrothermal approach to preparing ZnO flower-like using CQDs as growth seeds

This study presents a new synthesis route to prepare ZnO flower-like particles. Firstly, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were prepared hydrothermally, using the Malva sylvestris flower as the sole carbon source. Subsequently, flower-like particles of ZnO/CQDs were synthesized using CQDs seeds and the same hydrothermal process. The efficiency of the redox process of solar excitation was measured by reducing the dye methylene blue (MB). The SEM and TEM characterization shows ZnO flower-like particles of around 1.5 µm whose petals are formed by crystallites of around 10 nm. ZnO nanocrystals appear embedded in an amorphous carbon matrix. TEM images show carbon quantum dots on the surface of ZnO flowers. Without using Malva sylvestris, ZnO morphologies are not formed; instead, 2D nanolaminates appear. The ZnO/CQDs nanocomposite achieved 98 % MB degradation in 80 min. The small size of CQDs can be a good scenario for the growth of crystalline nanostructures using the nanocarbon seed.

Enhanced Nonenzymatic Glucose Biosensor of ZnO Nanostructure via Nonthermal Plasma

The sensitive nonenzymatic sensing of glucose has been made feasible for the first time using a nonthermal plasma (NTP)-synthesized ZnO nanostructure. This work presents an interesting and novel method for surface modification. The effects of flow gas of Argon/Oxygen (20, 30 and 40 l/min) on the Zn foil surface and various properties were investigated. Optical emission spectroscopy OES has been used to characterize transmissions for positive and negative systems of Ar/O plasma. X-ray diffraction showed close adjacent tops and the strongest peak at Zn (101). EDX displays the constants (Ok_[Formula: see text], (Znk_[Formula: see text] and (Znk_[Formula: see text] and change in (ZnL_[Formula: see text]. Photoluminescence (PL) Analysis shows a shift at the vertex toward the left and then toward the right confirming the reaction of all PL spectra within a strong UV emission peak. Raman spectroscopy analysis demonstrates two clear peaks gradually shifting to the right with an increase in the percentage of gas flowing compared to the blank metal, and scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show changes in the shape of nanoparticles due to increasing gas flow, the surface of zinc metal is affected by cold plasma and forms particles with very small diameters ranging from 10.8[Formula: see text]nm to 123[Formula: see text]nm. Also altered the surface morphology where the nano shape changed from flower-like particles to sheets with diameters ranging 282.7–643.5[Formula: see text]nm and the sheets grew with the increase of gas flow to diameters ranging 132–710[Formula: see text]nm. ZnO nanostructures are employed as biosensor electrodes (nonenzymatic) glucose as the increase in current is proportional to the flowing gas (2.06E-03[Formula: see text]mA, 2.09E-03[Formula: see text]mA and 4.34E-03[Formula: see text]mA).

Facile construction of Bi2WO6/TiO2 microspheres heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

Flower-like Bi2WO6 microspheres and TiO2 spherical particles were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method without any surfactant or template. A unique Z-Scheme Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction was successfully synthesized via a simple physical mixing method. The effect of mass ratio on the structure, morphology, optical properties, BET surface area and photocatalytic performance evaluated by degradation of organic dyes including Rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under solar irradiation was systemically investigated. When the mass ratio of Bi2WO6 to TiO2 was 1:4, the Bi2WO6/TiO2 composites exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency, the highest degradation efficiency of RhB and MB reached 95.2 % and 89.3 %, which could be attributed to the construction of heterojunction structure between TiO2 and Bi2WO6. The optical absorption capacity of Bi2WO6/TiO2 composites was stronger than pure TiO2. Furthermore, the radicalquenching experiments proved that ·O2– and h+ played crucial roles in the photocatalytic reaction. The suitable band structure of Bi2WO6 and TiO2 revealed the Z-Scheme pathway and possible photocatalytic mechanism of Bi2WO6/TiO2 composites for organic dyes degradation. Thus, the direct Z-scheme Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction effectively promoted separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, resulting in higher photocatalytic activity.

Flower-like 3D SnS decorated on nickel metal-organic framework for electrochemical detection of dimetridazole in food samples

Dimetridazole (DMZ) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic effective against bacterial and protozoan infections in humans and poultry farms. However, excessive DMZ intake leads to harmful effects. Thus, minimizing its environmental presence is crucial for sustaining daily life. This study presents an innovative approach to construct flower-like SnS particle decorations on a nickel metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF@SnS) as an electrocatalyst for DMZ detection. The Ni-MOF@SnS/GCE sensor exhibits exceptional electrocatalytic behavior, including a significantly reduced detection limit of 1.6 nM, extensive linear ranges from 0.01 μM to 60 μM and from 60 μM to 231 μM at lower and higher DMZ concentrations, respectively. It also shows enhanced sensitivity (0.139 μA μM−1 cm−2) and remarkable selectivity for DMZ detection using differential-pulse voltammetry (DPV). Furthermore, the proposed sensor demonstrates good recovery results with actual food samples.

Advanced Nanoencapsulation-Enabled Ultrasensitive Analysis: Unraveling Tumor Extracellular Vesicle Subpopulations for Differential Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via DNA Cascade Reactions.

Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tEVs) hold immense promise as potential biomarkers for the precise diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, their clinical translation is hampered by their inherent characteristics, such as small size and high heterogeneity and complex environment, including non-EV particles and normal cell-derived EVs, which prolong separation procedures and compromise detection accuracy. In this study, we devised a DNA cascade reaction-triggered individual EV nanoencapsulation (DCR-IEVN) strategy to achieve the ultrasensitive and specific detection of tEV subpopulations via routine flow cytometry in a one-pot, one-step fashion. DCR-IEVN enables the direct and selective packaging of multiple tEV subpopulations in clinical serum samples into flower-like particles exceeding 600 nm. This approach bypasses the need for EV isolation, effectively reducing interference from non-EV particles and nontumor EVs. Compared with conventional analytical technologies, DCR-IEVN exhibits superior efficacy in diagnosing HCC owing to its high selectivity for tEVs. Integration of machine learning algorithms with DCR-IEVN resulted in differential diagnosis accuracy of 96.7% for the training cohort (n = 120) and 93.3% for the validation cohort (n = 30), effectively distinguishing HCC, cirrhosis, and healthy donors. This strategy offers a streamlined workflow and rapid assay completion and requires only small-volume serum samples and routine clinical devices, facilitating the clinical translation of tEV-based tumor diagnosis.

Combination of multiple routes to enhance DSSC performance: Flower-like structure of SnO2 as photoanode and modification with Ag nanoparticle

SnO2 is an attractive photoanode material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), but it has many drawbacks and needs to be modified. In this study, flower-like SnO2 particles are firstly prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal synthesis method respectively, and the effect of hydrothermal reaction time on the growth of the particles is explored. The morphological and structural characterisation reveals that the flower-like particles have a larger specific surface area can provide more adsorption sites for dye molecules and are more suitable for photoanode materials. Then the optimal flower-like SnO2 particles are selected to prepare the photoanode, which is also modified with different concentrations of Ag nanoparticles to successfully introduce the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, and the optimal modification concentration is explored. Conformal characterisation, dye adsorption and light absorption tests revealed that the modification of Ag nanoparticles not only optimises the photoanode conformal structure and improves the dye adsorption, but also works in conjunction with the LSPR effect to improve the light absorption and utilisation, thus increasing the cell efficiency. Many cell performances of DSSC are also greatly improved due to the above work, and the optimal cell performance of DSSC is achieved when the Ag nanoparticles doping concentration is 0.03 M. Compared with the pure flower-like SnO2-based photoanode DSSC, the short-circuit current density of the best Ag nanoparticle-modified DSSC is enhanced by 28.56% to 15.80 mA/cm2, and its efficiency is improved by 20.82%–5.92%.

New structural features and pinning-evolved coercivity mechanism: A potential route for developing high coercivities in anisotropic Sm-Fe-N material

Sm-Fe-N material holds immense promise as new material for developing next generation permanent magnets. However, the achievement of high coercivity in this material remains a big challenge, and moreover new coercivity theories beyond the commonly considered nucleation-type mechanism needs exploration. This study describes both the yielding of anisotropic Sm-Fe-N powders with high coercivities and the discovery of new coercivity mechanism by a systematic study using a designed milling preparation method. As a result, a random-direction cleavage behavior with unexpected XRD peak shifts and formation of new micron-sized flower-like particles were found in the yielded Sm-Fe-N powders. The grain sizes of the powders are of nanoscale dimension and they refine gradually as the milling time increases. The measured coercivity is up to 15.0 kOe, which is a substantial increase of approximately 36.4% compared to the original commercial powders and among the highest reported values via the milling preparation method (commonly below 13 kOe). The yielded powders also demonstrate a new dual-type coercivity mechanism (combing both nucleation-type and pinning-type control effect), and the improved pining effect contributes to the high coercivities. This study opens the door of utilizing pinning effect for achieving high coercivities in anisotropic Sm-Fe-N material.

Facile fabrication of bilayer electromagnetic wave absorber via hierarchical Mo2C/La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 nanocomposite with multi-heterointerfaces for efficient low-frequency absorption

Bi-layer absorbers, which include porous and hierarchical materials, benefit from their slight weight, garnering increased interest in electromagnetic wave dissipation adaptability. However, developing a simple manufacturing process and utilizing such unique structures with particular compounds to achieve rational electromagnetic wave dissipation performance remains a challenge. In this case, a novel hierarchical flower-like Mo2C particle and scraps' firewood-shaped La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 were chemically synthesized and employed as the single component in each layer of a manufactured double-layer absorber. The mechanical and electromagnetic wave dissipation capability of optimized bilayer absorber samples was excellent. The best absorption was found in bilayer samples with a total thickness of just 1.2 mm, –39 dB dissipation intensity, and 3 GHz bandwidth at 5.4 GHz frequency. This performance was obtained by manipulating the order and layer thickness of the components, as well as modifying their morphology and microstructure.

Controllable synthesis of flower-like hierarchical porous TiO2 at room temperature and its affinity application.

Flower-like particles have attracted much attention due to their efficient surface accessible sites and unique hierarchical porous structure. However, their synthesis is usually challenging and requires complex procedures. Herein, we present a simple method for rapid preparation of flower-like hierarchical porous TiO2 (FHP-TiO2) at room temperature for the first time. This method can accurately control the size of FHP-TiO2 from 150 nm to 400 nm by combining co-assembly and Stober reaction. The formation mechanism and influencing factors of FHP-TiO2 were systematically investigated, and its excellent metal oxide affinity was confirmed by theoretical calculations. Due to its hierarchical porous structure, large surface area and high specificity performance, FHP-TiO2 served as an appealing restricted-access adsorbent for specific and efficient enrichment of molecules with phosphate groups in a complex sample matrix, thereby realizing the quantitative analysis of these important biomolecules by coupling with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Moreover, compared with other morphologies (rough surface, and hollow dendritic and mesoporous structure) of TiO2 and flower-like SiO2, FHP-TiO2 showed the best affinity binding ability. This research not only presents a novel approach for tunable room-temperature synthesis of FHP-TiO2 with different sizes, but also expands the application of FHP-TiO2 as an appealing sample-enricher for food safety monitoring and early disease diagnosis.

Immunomagnetic particles exhibiting programmable hierarchical flower-like nanostructures for enhanced separation of tumor cells.

Immunomagnetic particles are extensively used for the separation of biological molecules and particles, and have exhibited great potential in many fields including biosensors, disease diagnosis and biomedical engineering. However, most immunomagnetic particles exhibit a smooth surface, resulting in a limited separation efficiency for biological particles featuring enormous surface nanostructures, such as tumor cells. Here we report flower-like immunomagnetic particles (FIMPs) prepared by streptavidin (SA)-assisted biomineralization and one-step antibody modification, and demonstrate their superior capability for highly efficient and selective separation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). SA can link inorganic nanosheets and magnetic nanoparticles together to obtain FIMPs with programmable hierarchical flower-like nanostructures and provide enormous binding sites for post-antibody modification. The synergetic effect of nano-sized petals and micro-sized particles in the hierarchical nanostructure enhances the interaction between the cells and the matrix, thus enabling FIMPs to separate CTCs with high selectivity and high efficiency. Our study provides a promising platform for the selective separation of trace biological molecules and particles from complex samples and shows great potential for downstream detection and diagnosis.

Synthesis of silver flower-like particles and evaluation of their antibacterial activity

Ag nanoflowers (AgNFs) were synthesized using theHamelia patensplant extract, and their antibacterial properties were evaluated against Escherichia ColiandStaphylococcus aureus. SEM analysis showed that the size of AgNFs was 2 μm, and they were made up of randomly oriented nanosheets that were 100 nm thick. The petals grew in an anisotropic form on the Ag fcc lattice. The synthesis process involved using glycoside compounds in the plant extract as reducing agents, confirmed by FT-IR and HNMR techniques. The AgNFs exhibited antibacterial activity against both bacteria strains.

Broadband Enhancement in the Spectral Response of Photovoltaic Modules with Flower-like Silver Particles

Recent research has indicated that metal nanoparticles, known for their unique optical properties, can enhance the spectral response of photovoltaic modules. Since most nanoparticles demonstrate enhancement effects within a specific wavelength range, broadening the spectral response of photoelectric devices is critical for their application in imaging, energy harvesting, and optical communication. In this study, we applied flower-like silver particles to achieve this broadband enhancement. The optical absorption of photovoltaic modules, featuring an amorphous Si p-i-n structure, was improved across a broad wavelength range of 400~2000 nm by integrating these flower-like silver particles, resulting in an approximately tenfold increase in peak spectral responsivity. The theoretical investigation further elaborates that the enhancement originates from the near-field effects of silver particles due to the interaction of different parts of the flower-like silver particles. Through these studies, we demonstrate that utilizing the flower-like silver particles with roughness surface can achieve the spectral response of the photoelectric device enhanced in broadband range, which can improve the utilization efficiency of optical energy for the applications of sensing, imaging, optical communication, and energy harvesting.

Flower-like spherical ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH with dual type II heterostructure as a photocatalyst for efficient photocatalytic degradation and hydrogen production

One of the effective strategies for improving the photocatalytic activity of composite materials is to construct a heterostructure using layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the main photocatalytic material in order to accelerate photogenerated charge transfer. We report herein the preparation of a novel flower-like spherical photocatalytic composite, ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH, with a dual type II heterostructure, by a hydrothermal method. ZnAl-LDH in the composite has the characteristic structure of a good hydrotalcite-like compound, and ZnCdS and Bi2WO6 are loaded on its surface to form flower-like spherical particles of uniform size. Compared with ZnAl-LDH, a ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH composite has a significantly broader light absorption range and a more uniform pore size distribution. Electrochemical impedance, transient photocurrent, and photoluminescence results for ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH composites have shown that the composition with 20% ZnCdS displayed the highest photocurrent density, the lowest electron-transfer resistance, and the lowest electron–hole recombination efficiency. Multi-mode photocatalytic degradation experiments showed all ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH composites to exhibit good photocatalytic degradation ability. Meanwhile, ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH showed enhanced hydrogen production of 79.20 μmol g−1 h−1, more than eight times that for ZnAl-LDH, and its photocatalytic activity remained stable after three experimental cycles. Through trapping experiments, the active species involved in the photocatalytic reaction has been identified, and the presence of a dual type II heterostructure in the ZnCdS/Bi2WO6/ZnAl-LDH composite is postulated. Rapid separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers in the composite is achieved due to the close association of ZnCdS, Bi2WO6, and ZnAl-LDH.

Temporal Evolution of Morphology, Composition, and Structure in the Formation of Colloidal High-Entropy Intermetallic Nanoparticles.

Morphology-controlled nanoparticles of high entropy intermetallic compounds are quickly becoming high-value targets for catalysis. Their ordered structures with multiple distinct crystallographic sites, coupled with the "cocktail effect" that emerges from randomly mixing a large number of elements, yield catalytic active sites capable of achieving advanced catalytic functions. Despite this growing interest, little is known about the pathways by which high entropy intermetallic nanoparticles form and grow in solution. As a result, controlling their morphology remains challenging. Here, we use the high entropy intermetallic compound (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn, which adopts a NiAs-related crystal structure, as a model system for understanding how nanoparticle morphology, composition, and structure evolve during synthesis in solution using a slow-injection reaction. By performing a time-point study, we establish the initial formation of palladium-rich cube-like Pd-Sn seeds onto which the other metals deposit over time, concomitant with continued incorporation of tin. For (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn, growth occurs on the corners, resulting in a sample having a mixture of flower-like and cube-like morphologies. We then synthesize and characterize a library of 14 distinct intermetallic nanoparticle systems that comprise all possible binary, ternary, and quaternary constituents of (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn. From these studies, we correlated compositions, morphologies, and growth pathways with the constituent elements and their competitive reactivities, ultimately mapping out a framework that rationalizes the key features of the high entropy (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn intermetallic nanoparticles based on those of their simpler constituents. We then validated these design guidelines by applying them to the synthesis of a morphologically pure variant of flowerlike (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn particles as well as a series of (Pd,Rh,Ir,Pt)Sn particles with tunable morphologies based on control of composition.

Synergistic effects of Mo and in-situ TiC on the microstructure and wear resistance of AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy fabricated by laser cladding

The AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy coatings reinforced by the high melting point element Mo and in-situ TiC were fabricated by using laser cladding. The BCC phase existed in all the coatings. When Mo and in-situ TiC were doped individually, the existence of the σ phase and dendritic TiC particles were detected, respectively. However, on simultaneous doping of Mo and in-situ TiC, no σ phase was observed, and flower-like TiC particles were detected. In addition, the simultaneous doping of Mo and in-situ TiC resulted in a wear resistance of 3.14 and 2.6 times greater than that in case of individual doping of Mo and in-situ TiC, respectively, indicating the manifestation of a synergistic effect in improving wear resistance.

Construction of 3D flower-like SnS particles anchored Ni-metal-organic framework composite: A novel positive electrode material for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gains particular consideration as electrode material in supercapacitors owing to their porous nature, tunable structure, and occurrence of many active sites. However, some pristine MOFs' poor electrical conductivity and stability confine their potential application in supercapacitors. In this work, a new type of Nickel-MOF-based tin sulfide composite (Ni-MOF/SnS) is prepared using the simple hydrothermal route and studied its applicability in supercapacitors. The physicochemical characterizations of the as-prepared Ni-MOF/SnS composite confirm the perfect synthesis and formation of porous 3Dimensional (3D) flower-like SnS particles anchored Ni-MOF hexagonal rods-like morphology. The existing porous structure and SnS particles in the Ni-MOF/SnS composite deliver many active sites to perform the electrochemical reactions, achieving an excellent specific capacity value of 1440 C/g at 1 A/g. Also, Ni-MOF/SnS composite electrode maintains 95 % of its specific capacity value up to 8000 charge-discharge cycles at 3 A/g. Furthermore, the as-fabricated Ni-MOF/SnS//Activated carbon asymmetric device delivers the specific capacity of 228 F/g at 1 A/g, revealing a high energy and power density of 81.06 Wh/kg and 1823.8 W/kg, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the Ni-MOF/SnS composite represents a suitable electrode material for the next generation of supercapacitors.

A novel flower-like nickel-metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF) membrane for efficient multi-component pollutants removal by gravity

The recycling of wastewater containing multiple pollutants is an urgent issue that requires sustainable and effective solutions. Gravity-driven membrane separation is a highly promising technology due to its low energy consumption, low transmembrane pressure, and ease of operation. To further enhance its advantages, this work explores the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for membrane modifications, which possess a porous structure, stable chemical properties, and high specific surface area. Specifically, flower-like nickel-based MOF particles were synthesized and assembled on a nylon membrane to prepare a novel Ni-MOF membrane. The Ni-MOF membrane displayed superhydrophilic properties, as evidenced by a water contact angle of 0°, and underwater superoleophobic properties, with an underwater oil contact angle of 154.37°. The Ni-MOF membrane demonstrated a significantly improved rejection rate for four types of dye solutions, particularly Congo red solution, which was rejected at a rate of 97.71% only through gravity-driven separation. Additionally, the Ni-MOF membrane exhibited exceptional performance for oil-water emulsion and microplastic wastewater, which was evidenced by the rejection of 95% and 99%, respectively. Moreover, the cycling tests revealed that the Ni-MOF membrane equipped long-term stability. These data demonstrated the Ni-MOF membrane had broad application prospects in the separation of wastewater containing multi-component pollutants.

Photothermal self-lubricating anti-icing coating based on flower-like CuS and PDMS

This paper reports a novel photothermal self-lubricating (PT-SL) anti-icing coating contributing to the structural design of photothermal material and the utilization enhancement of photothermal function. The PT-SL coating was created by the hydrolysis-condensation reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) on the surface of pre-prepared flower-like CuS particle, followed by crosslinking yielded flower-like CuS@(SiO2-MPTMS) particle with silicone elastomer (Sylgard 184) in the presence of linear poly(dimethyl siloxane) (l-PDMS). The CuS@(SiO2-MPTMS) particle evidenced as black body in the wavelength range 250–2500 nm endowed the PT-SL coating with high photothermal conversion efficiency at a low content due to its flower-like structure with numerous sharp nanoflakes and small pores. The high temperature via photothermal effect could promote the surface migration of liquid-like hydrophobic l-PDMS, bestowing a self-lubricated dewetting property on PT-SL coating. Consequently, the PT-SL coating with a CuS@(SiO2-MPTMS) content of 5 wt% under sunlight was capable of melting and cleaning ice and frost even at a freezing temperature of −25 °C. Under sunlight-free condition, the PT-SL coating also performed low ice adhesion strength ranging from 14.98 to 9.33 kPa and good durability due to the synergism of crosslinked structure, the uniform distribution of CuS@(SiO2-MPTMS) and the surface coverage of liquid-like l-PDMS.