Lunar dust, with its abrasive and irregular particles, poses a significant hazard to materials, devices, structures deployed in space, and astronaut health. Addressing lunar dust is essential for…

This federal contract award to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) aims to develop coatings that can mitigate the hazards posed by lunar dust during long-term space missions. The $750,000.00 grant is funded by a Civilian federal agency, the Shared Services Center, and is not set aside for any specific designation.

The proposed coatings use crumpled nano-ball structures made from 2D materials like MoS2, graphene, and MXenes. These coatings are designed to reduce particle adhesion and surface abrasion by exploiting the intrinsic properties of the materials, which are also expected to withstand extreme thermal, vacuum, and radiation environments. The unique flexoelectric and electrostatically dissipative properties of the coatings enable them to adaptively dissipate and neutralize charges, making them highly responsive to the charged lunar dust environment.

This grant award is part of a larger research program focused on developing advanced technologies to support space exploration. UCI has demonstrated extensive capabilities in areas such as aerospace engineering, materials science, and specialized scientific investigations through its previous federal contract and grant awards.

Lunar dust, with its abrasive and irregular particles, poses a significant hazard to materials, devices, structures deployed in space, and astronaut health. Addressing lunar dust is essential for the sustainability of equipment and life during long-term space missions. This proposal aims to develop coatings using crumpled nano-ball structures made from 2D materials such as MOS2, graphene, and mxenes. These coatings will reduce particle adhesion and surface abrasion by exploiting the intrinsic properties of these materials. The deformable crumpled nano-ball (DCN) coatings feature reduced contact surface area through surface and nano-engineering, offering a passive mitigation strategy that leverages the materials' innate properties to repel lunar dust. The robust properties of these materials suggest their ability to withstand extreme thermal and vacuum environments, as well as resistance to radiation exposure. The unique flexoelectric and electrostatically dissipative properties of MOS2, graphene, and mxene crumpled nano-balls enable these coatings to adaptively dissipate and neutralize charges, making them highly responsive to the charged lunar dust environment. By leveraging these properties, the DCN coating can adaptively dissipate and neutralize charges while remaining a passive form of dust mitigation.