The article primarily focuses on offering a novel solution to the icing problem, which currently has many applicable approaches, but they tend to be highly limited in their use due to narrow utility and a wide range of limitations. The problem being addressed is icing, which poses a risk and compromising effect on a number of critical functional materials, such as wind turbines, electricity transmission lines, or airplane safety (Chatterjee et al. 1). The core solution proposed by the author is anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide or DMSO compositions, which include gels, creams, non-aqueous emulsions, and block-copolymer (BCP) solutions (Chatterjee et al. 1). All of these compound measures enhance the applicability of DSMO by mitigating its drawbacks, such as its limited lifetime. These DSMO formulations are encapsulated to make organohydrogels or OHGs. Such a measure widens the operational temperature range of OHG due to the introduction of salts, alcohols, ionic liquids, and cryoprotectants. OHG is also able to retain liquids for longer durations with no degradation during storage (Chatterjee et al. 3). In addition, DMSO makes OHGs mechanically resilient and robust because the former increases crystalline domain density in the gelatin network.
Moreover, DMSO-based gels have increased optical transparency and thermal plasticity, which allows one to mold them by changing temperature. Creams and emulsions were found to have longer service time since they exhibit a deicing effect (Chatterjee et al. 3). The applicability is further expanded by OHGs adherence to a wide range of relevant material surfaces. DMSO-gels are superior to standard coatings due to their better anti-icing performance. In icing-deicing cycles, DMSO is depleted from the gel but at a thrice improved rate than conventional solutions. DMSO-gels are highly moldable and transparent as well as stable high airflow, and thus, multifunctional (Chatterjee et al. 4). The last important property of DMSO-gels is their anti-microbial feature due to reduced adhesion of pathogens.
Work Cited
Chatterjee, Rukmava, et al. “A family of frost-resistant and icephobic coatings.” Advanced Materials, vol. 1, 2022, pp. 1-4.