Modern materials used in packaging and outdoor applications are constantly exposed to harsh environments, where water, dust, and ice can degrade performance over time. Researchers have long sought ways to create surfaces that can repel contaminants and reduce maintenance needs. Inspired by natural systems such as lotus leaves, scientists are now engineering surfaces that actively resist water and dirt accumulation while maintaining durability under extreme conditions.
Professor Jin Zhang from University of New South Wales, alongside Yingkun Sheng, Dr. Shuai He, Xiaojing Hao, Erjiang Fu, and Professor Cyrille Boyer, developed a novel method to transform conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic used in bottles and packaging, into a multifunctional material. Their work, published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Materials Interfaces, introduces a scalable approach to fabricate self-cleaning, anti-icing, and UV-resistant PET sheets. As Professor Zhang explained, “A facile and effective strategy is presented for creating robust micro/nano hierarchical structures on PET sheets to achieve superhydrophobicity through surface roughening and reduced surface energy.” Here, superhydrophobicity refers to an extreme water-repellent property where droplets bead up and roll off easily.
The team combined thermal engraving, a process that imprints tiny patterns using heat, with chemical modification to create dual-scale surface structures, meaning features exist at both microscopic and nanoscopic levels. These included microscopic grooves and windowpane-like patterns, further enhanced with nanoscale features, extremely small structures measured in billionths of a meter. As a result, water droplets formed near-perfect spheres and easily rolled off the surface. The contact angle, which measures how much a droplet spreads on a surface, increased dramatically from a modest level on untreated PET to very high temperatures, indicating a highly water-repellent surface. In practical terms, this means liquids barely stick, and contaminants are easily carried away.
One of the most striking findings was the efficiency of the micro-windowpane design. These surfaces allowed water droplets to roll off at very low sliding angles, meaning only a slight tilt is needed for droplets to move, effectively cleaning away both soluble and insoluble materials such as coffee powder and sand. This behavior mimics natural self-cleaning systems and demonstrates how carefully engineered surface geometry, the shape and arrangement of surface patterns, can influence performance. The researchers also observed that these structures reduce adhesion, the tendency of substances to stick, allowing droplets to detach completely without leaving residue behind.
Beyond self-cleaning, the material exhibited strong resistance to ice formation. When exposed to freezing temperatures, water droplets on the modified surface remained unfrozen longer compared to untreated PET. This delay occurs because the structured surface reduces heat transfer, the movement of thermal energy, between the material and the droplet. Such anti-icing behavior could prove valuable in environments where ice accumulation poses safety or operational risks.
The study also demonstrated resilience under prolonged ultraviolet exposure, which is high-energy radiation from sunlight that can degrade materials. Even after extended UV irradiation, the surfaces retained their water-repellent properties with minimal degradation. This durability is critical for real-world applications where materials must withstand sunlight over long periods without losing functionality.
Importantly, the approach avoids the use of nanoparticles, extremely small particles often used in coatings, which are commonly employed in similar coatings but can raise environmental and durability concerns. As Professor Zhang noted, “This study achieved a superhydrophobic surface without any nanoparticles through a simple two-step process.” This innovation reduces potential risks associated with nanoparticle release while simplifying fabrication.
Overall, the research presents a practical pathway for enhancing widely used materials with advanced surface functionalities. By integrating micro- and nanoscale structures with chemical modifications, the team has created PET surfaces that are not only self-cleaning but also resistant to ice and UV degradation. These improvements could extend the lifespan of materials used in packaging, automotive components, and outdoor equipment, reducing maintenance costs and improving performance in challenging environments.
Journal Reference
Sheng Y., He S., Hao X., Fu E., Boyer C., Zhang J. “Self-Cleaning Dual-Scale Heterostructured Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Sheet With Anti-Icing and UV Resistant Functionalities.” Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202500625
About the Authors
Yingkun Sheng is a PhD candidate in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), supervised by Associate Professor Jin Zhang and Professor Cyrille Boyer. She received her Bachelor of Engineering from Sun Yat-sen University and her Master of Engineering from the University of New South Wales. Her current research focuses on multifunctional front cover coatings for conventional glass metal frame photovoltaic modules and lightweight photovoltaic modules.
Dr. Shuai He is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW Sydney, specializing in advanced manufacturing, composite materials, and intelligent thermo-mechanical systems. With over a decade of experience across academia and industry, his research focuses on advanced composites, additive manufacturing of polymers and metals, smart materials, and sustainable manufacturing systems for aerospace and renewable energy applications. He has served as CI and co-CI on major ARC, CRC, TRaCE, and industry-funded projects. His work integrates multifunctional material design, intelligent sensing, and structural health monitoring, and Industry 4.0-enabled manufacturing to deliver translational outcomes in advanced aerospace and energy technologies, supported by an active publication record in leading international journals.
Professor Cyrille Boyer, an Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of New South Wales, specializes in synthesizing functional macromolecules for applications in nanomedicine, advanced materials, and energy storage. He has pioneered 3D printing methods for precise control over nano- and macro-structures. Boyer’s work has earned him prestigious awards, including the 2018 IUPAC-Polymer International Young Researcher award and the 2015 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Science. Consistently recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher since 2018, he is also acknowledged as a leader in polymers and plastics in Australia by the Australian Newspaper.
Jin Zhang is a Scientia Associate Professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Her research spans lightweight fibre‑reinforced polymer structural composites, functional nanocomposites for energy harvesting and sensing, functional coatings and biodegradable polymers, as well as 3D‑printed polymer systems. She received an Endeavour Fellowship from the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education in 2012 and a Victoria Fellowship from the Victorian Department of State Development, Business and Innovation in 2013. She currently leads ARC Future Fellowship Project, ARC Linkage Project, and Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC‑P) research funded by the Australian Government, all focused on advancing sustainable energy, materials, and technologies.
