Professor Edwin Tso’s Team Publishes Breakthrough in Adaptive Photothermal Anti-/Deicing Technology in Nature Communications
Prof. Edwin Chi-Yan TSO, Associate Dean (Internationalisation and Outreach) and Associate Professor at the School of Energy and Environment (SEE), City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has made significant strides in the utilization and regulation of solar thermal energy. In collaboration with Prof. Fuqiang CHU, Professor from University of Science and Technology Beijing, Prof. Tso’s group has published a new study in Nature Communications titled, “A Self-Regulated Photothermal Anti-/Deicing Film for All-Season Applications”.
Led by Dr. Jiayu DU, postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Tso’s group and first author of the paper, this groundbreaking research addresses key limitations of traditional photothermal anti-/deicing materials, which often rely on high-absorptance black surfaces without dynamic thermal regulation capability. Their excessive heating in hot summer can accelerate material degradation and intensify urban heat island effects, severely restricting year-round applicability.
Prof. Edwin Chi-Yan TSO and his research team members at CityUHK. (From left: Dr. Wenqi WANG, Dr. Xin LI, Dr. Yang FU (front row); Dr. Jiayu DU, Prof. Edwin Chi-Yan TSO (middle row); Mr. Xu CHEN, Mr. Hao LI, Dr. Jie TAN (back row))
To overcome this challenge, Prof. Tso’s group designed a temperature-adaptive photothermal storage superhydrophobic (TAPSS) film capable of dynamically switching from a high-absorptance black state in cold conditions to a high-reflectance white state in hot environments. The TAPSS film features an innovative trilayer architecture, consisting of a transparent superhydrophobic top layer, a freeze-resistant thermochromic hydrogel interlayer, and a photothermal phase-change base layer. This synergistic design integrates superhydrophobicity, thermochromism, photothermal conversion, and thermal energy storage into a single platform, providing a new framework to address overheating without compromising anti-/deicing performance.
Design and working principle of TAPSS film
Through precise optical optimization, the TAPSS film achieves a solar modulation capability of 62%, transitioning between 92% solar absorptance in cold conditions and 70% solar reflectivity in hot environments. Experiments show that the film extends freezing time by tenfold at −20 °C and enables efficient defrosting on representative structures such as aircraft wings and wind turbine blades. In hot conditions, it reduces surface temperature by up to 17 °C, highlighting strong potential for year-round building energy savings. Moreover, the TAPSS film demonstrates excellent durability, maintaining stable performance after 90 days of outdoor exposure and 20 freeze–thaw cycles.
Photographs, absorption spectra of the TAPSS film in heating and cooling modes, as well as radar map comparing the performance of TAPSS film with other anti-/deicing materials in five key metrics.
With its excellent flexibility, durability and dynamic modulation ability, this work not only marks a significant step toward next-generation adaptive anti-/deicing technology, but also offers energy-efficient and sustainable solutions for the seasonal thermal management of critical infrastructure and urban architecture. Together with their previous advancements, Prof. Tso’s team is pioneering innovative pathways to achieve smarter, more sustainable urban living environments.