Flexible and robust graphene/MXene@carbon fiber composite films with highly all-weather anti-icing/deicing efficiency

The development of flexible and robust materials combining efficient photothermal/electrothermal conversion with high environmental stability remains a critical challenge for anti-/de-icing under extreme cold conditions. Here, we report a laser-driven phase transformation and structural engineering strategy to fabricate reduced graphene oxide/MXene@carbon fiber (rGO/MXene@CF) composite films featuring tailored microporous architectures. Precise modulation of the laser pulse frequency enables near-complete reduction of graphene oxide (92% conversion of C=O to C=C bonds), while simultaneously inducing sub-micron honeycomb pores and hierarchical wrinkles. Finite element heat transfer (HEAT) simulations, in high agreement with experimental measurements, reveal that these customized micropores maximize multiple internal reflections and light-harvesting efficiency, significantly enhancing the photothermal response. The optimized rGO/MX@CF-L2 composite establishes a synergistic three-dimensional (3D) photothermal-electrothermal network, where MXene serves as a conductive building block to suppress local impedance fluctuations, ensuring exceptional spatial temperature uniformity. Under a low voltage of 2.5 V or 1-sun illumination, the material reaches steady-state temperatures of 148 °C and 120 °C, respectively. Furthermore, a water contact angle of 135.5° confers robust hydrophobicity and self-cleaning capabilities, while the surface rGO layer acts as an effective passivation barrier to enhance the oxidative stability of MXene. Supported by a high-strength carbon fiber skeleton, the composite maintains a high tensile strength of 61.5 MPa and exhibits superior long-term service stability, achieving complete de-icing within 57 seconds under synergistic photo-electrothermal driving.