Researchers at Northwestern University have made a significant breakthrough in preventing frost formation on surfaces. The new technique involves altering the texture of surfaces and applying a thin layer of graphene oxide, effectively stopping frost from forming for up to a week or more. This advancement could lead to increased energy efficiency in appliances and reduced drag on airplanes.

The study, published in Science Advances, was led by Kyoo-Chul Kenneth Park, an assistant professor at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. Park explained the importance of developing robust anti-frosting techniques: “Unwanted frost accumulation is a major concern across industrial, residential and government sectors.” He highlighted the 2021 power crisis in Texas as an example of the damage caused by frost and extreme cold conditions.

The researchers were inspired by leaves, which do not form frost on their concave veins. Previous work by Park's team found that millimeter-scale textures could reduce frost formation by up to 80%. The addition of graphene oxide further enhances this effect, with the new surface design resisting 100% of frost formation for 160 hours.

Park emphasized the durability of their method: “Most other anti-frosting surfaces are susceptible to damage from scratches or contamination... But our anti-frosting mechanism demonstrates robustness to scratches, cracks and contaminants.”

This innovation has potential applications beyond everyday inconveniences like defrosting freezers or scraping car windshields. Frost can cause serious issues such as creating drag on airplane wings or adding weight to power lines. By reducing ice adhesion through textured surfaces combined with graphene oxide, maintenance costs could be significantly lowered.

The research received partial support from the National Science Foundation and the Korea Institute for Science and Technology.