Low temperature low adhesion bio-inspired nanomaterials

Anti-adhesive materials are key factors in developing advanced applications. Low temperature sticking-prevention is crucial in several contexts, e.g. design of self-cleaning refrigerators devices or anti-ice airplane wings, where today significant energy is used to prevent ice adhesion to surfaces. Adhesion becomes naturally stronger at low temperature, where current strategies for sticking-prevention are today very poor. Sticking-prevention solutions are suggested by Nature: peculiar plant leaves are able to prevent insect adhesion, even if insects evolved in order to maximize adhesion. This proposal aims to develop basic materials able to replicate such bio-inspired sticking-preventing capabilities, thanks to nanoscience and nanotechnology. The proposed approach lies on the fabrication of self-cleaning surfaces of different materials by means of proper topological modifications using nanotechnological tools such as nanolithography, focused ion beam, direct replication of biological surfaces with silicon, etc.

Concerning the expected impact, ice and water low adhesion material will greatly simplify related system design and improvement of energetic efficiency for end users: aerodynamical surfaces for aircraft, ice sensitive devices in automotive, ships and trains (windscreens, ship pulleys, etc…) heat exchanger for house appliances, among others. The impact will be very high, not only in the European market but worldwide addressing one of the most difficult engineering challenges in the low temperature design of any solution. The return of investment for European industries having a solution able to alleviate the issue will be extremely important.
In aeronautics, ice adhesion on aerodynamical surfaces causes critical conditions up to vehicle loss. Current ice protection systems use hundreds of kW to prevent ice accretion with an increase of about 1% of fuel consumption. In house appliances and cooling systems, ice accretion on surfaces requires complex local heating systems and temperature control and set constraints energetic efficiency and cost. Reduction of ice adhesion on surfaces is extremely important in several other industries such as chemistry, transport (car windscreens) and textile (idrophobic matter).

nano
anti-adhesion
sticky-prevention
nanostructured surfaces
contact angle
self-cleaning
AFM
nanofabrication
nanolitography
adhesion force

Politecnico di Torino - Italy - coordinator

Industries in the field of materials for aeronautics and materials for cooling systems - partner

other universities/research institutes - partner