Atomic Coupling Growth of Graphene on Carbon Steel for Exceptional Anti-Icing Performance

Surface
enrichment of regularly arranged C atoms on carbon steel
(C-steel) substrates is intriguing but challenging due to the strong
bonding force between C and Fe and complex C solubility in C-steel.
We propose a novel strategy of introducing a supersaturated C isolating
layer on the surface of C-steel to block the ceaseless C dissolution
in bulk metal and directly grow graphene on C-steel through a controlled
cooling process with selected C sources for the first time. The as-grown
graphene films have strong atomic coupling with the adjacent C-steel
substrate, and the presence of a gradient, structured cementite layer
indicates a C diffusion blocking effect for the bulk. Finally, the
novel composite exhibited an exceptional anti-icing ability.