Flexible graphene-integrated alumina fabric for energy-efficient and rapid electrothermal deicing

The direct synthesis of large-scale high-quality graphene on insulating substrates for transfer-free applications remains challenging. Herein, we report a binary-carbon-source plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) strategy that utilizes solid-state poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and gaseous methane as carbon resource to achieve external-metal-catalyst-free growth of graphene on commercial alumina fiber fabric (AFF). At 1050 °C, PMMA activated in the plasma region, together with methane, produced a continuous and conformal graphene "skin" on every fiber of the AFF. The resulting graphene-integrated AFF (GAFF) shows a good electrical conductivity (2–600 Ω sq⁻¹) and remarkable electrothermal behavior with a fast-thermal response (heating within 5 s), large-area uniform Joule heating (temperature variation within ±5 %), and steady performance across a broad temperature span (−150 to 350 °C). Using these advantages, we constructed an electrothermal device capable of efficient, rapid anti-icing and de-icing even in demanding environments. Not only does GAFF exhibit outstanding lightweight properties and flexibility, but it also boasts a tensile strength exceeding 400 MPa. Notably, this flexible composite film shows a low ice adhesion strength of 23.77 ± 1.5 kPa, with complete deicing achievable within 40 s under an electrical power density of 0.479 W/cm². It underscores the material's promising uses in electrothermal anti-icing/de-icing, particularly in aerospace and wind energy sectors.