Paper is one of the most versatile materials for device fabrication, as support for technologies or as a fibrous barrier. The use of paper as a possible substitute material for high cost industrial materials in processes like synthesis, solar cells, microfluidics and many others, is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field of research combining materials science, chemistry and engineering. Paper has found applications in rapid analytical devices, synthesis of advanced materials, protein crystallization and bioassays. These technological applications depend on the control of either the surface or bulk properties of paper. In this work we proposed a method to modify the wetting properties (surface energy) of paper through introduction of molecules with a low surface tension, concomitant engineering and surface roughness of paper fibers.<br/>Our method, unlike previously reported in literature, introduces three level of surface roughness viz: i) roughness due to fiber organization- this correlates with porosity and is asymmetric across the paper thickness, ii) roughness on the fiber surface due to presence of micro fibrils, a parameter influence by pulp source and processing, iii) fiber roughness due to kinetically controlled surface modification and polymerization to give chemisorbed micro-and nanoparticles on the surface of the paper.<br/>Paper has been chosen for this project since it is a low cost material that can be chemically modified as desired. Our approach to converting this affordable material to an ultra to super hydrophobic surface through chemical and structural modification will be discussed. We compare the generated material to the surface of a lotus leaf and the Namib beetle.

Biomimetic amphiphobic surfaces on paper

249th National Meeting (2015)

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