Search

Selective detection and quantification of biomarkers related to human diseases are essential for preventive healthcare. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool offering high sensitivity. However, the success of this promising analytical tool relies on the ability to effectively fabricate SERS substrate. Herein we have demonstrated a plasmonic paper-based flexible substrate (PPFS) for SERS sensing. In situ growth of silver nanostructures (AgNS) on the paper-based substrate was achieved by using a simple one-step silver mirror reaction (SMR). FESEM and TEM results depicts that the increasing silver ion content influences the morphology (growth of multifacets), as well as size of AgNS. Further, the PPFS substrate was tested with Rhodamine-6G (Rh-6G) dye and an attomole sensitivity with a LOD of 4.54 x 10-18 M was achieved. Further, two biomarkers, lactic acid (LA) and uric acid (UA) were detected on the PPFS substrate, with μM and pM sensitivity, having LOD values of 0.6 x 10-6 and 0.3 x 10-12 M respectively. Above detection levels for UA on PPFS is two orders better than reported values, whereas for LA it is comparable with reported substrates. Finally, UA, LA and their mixtures were tested on PPFS and results compared with commercial substrate. The performance of PPFS were found better in all cases, thus, multifaceted AgNS paper based PPFS offers the potential to be used as a biosensor for detection of various biomarkers from body fluids, responsible for the detection of the critical disease for preventive health care.

Statement of problem Quick response (QR) codes are a fast and efficient technology for linking and accessing identifying information, and their use has been proposed in forensics. The heat resistance and esthetics of denture marking methods (DMMs) have been recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA), but studies on these aspects of printed QR codes are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal printed material with QR codes for implementation as a DMM adjusted to the recommendations of the ADA. Material and methods The behavior of 4 types of paper, bond paper, fiberglass filter paper, ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowire paper, and polyolefin and silica paper with printed QR codes was analyzed. They were exposed to temperatures between 100 °C and 1000 °C in a heat muffle for 1 hour. Each specimen was subjected to both a morphological and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanned by using 3 different smartphones. Results The scans were positive for bond paper (33.3%), fiberglass fiber paper (50%), ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowire paper (100%), and polyolefin and silica paper (70.4%). The TGA revealed continuous decomposition curves (average 16.5 minutes at 624 °C). Conclusions Printed QR codes on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowire paper appear to be suitable as information reservoirs, even surviving incineration, and may be implemented as a DMM conforming to the ADA recommendations.

The prevalence of diabetes has increased over the past years. Therefore, developing minimally invasive, user-friendly and cost-effective glucose biosensors is necessary especially in low-income and developing countries. Cellulose paper-based analytical devices have attracted the attention of many researchers due to affordability, not requiring trained personnel, and complex equipment. This paper describes a microfluidic paper-based analytical device for the detection of glucose in tear with the naked eye. The paper-based biosensor fabricated by laser CO2, and GOx/HRP enzymatic solution coupled with TMB was utilized as reagents. A sample volume of 10 µl was needed for the biosensor operation and the results were observable within 5 minutes. To evaluate the device performance, color intensity-based and distance-based results were analyzed by ImageJ and Tracker. Distance-based results showed a linear behavior in the range of 0.1–0.6 mM with an R2 = 0.967 and LOD of 0.2 mM. The results could be perceived by the naked eye without any need to further equipment or trained personnel in a relatively short time (3–5 minutes). Moreover, glucose concentration could be obtained non-invasively by tears collected by this µPAD.

Molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) with well-designed porous structure has the potential to be great electrode materials in sodium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity and abundant resource, however, hindered by its intrinsic low conductivity and stability. Herein, MoS2 with 3D macroporous foam structure and high conductivity was obtained through SiO2 templates and integrated with carbon paper (3D F-MoS2/CP). It has showed superior specific capacity (225 mA h g−1, 0.4–3 V) and cycling stability (1000 cycles) at high rate (2000 mA g−1), with a low decay rate (0.033% per cycle) in sodium-ion batteries. The excellent electrochemical performance may originate from its unique integrated structure: 3D MoS2 macropores providing high surface area and abundant transfer channels while carbon paper enhancing the conductivity of MoS2 and avoiding unnecessary side reactions brought by binder addition.

This manuscript aimed to enhance the mechanical, thermal, and ignition properties of bagasse paper when coated with different coatings synthesized from hydroxyethyl cellulose, 1,3-di-p-toluidine-2,2,2,4,4,4-hexachlorocyclodiphosph(V)azane, Talc powder, NaHCO3, cellulose nanocrystal. The effect of these coatings on the mechanical properties was studied by measuring elongation, tensile strength, and burst strength. The stages of degradation and ash residue of the measuring specimens were determined using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), behind that, the ignition properties as the flame chamber (UL/94), and limiting oxygen index (LOI) was measured according to standards. These tests proved that 1,3-di-p-toluidine-2,2,2,4,4,4-hexachlorocyclodiphosph(V)azane has a direct effect on improving the mechanical characteristics and enhancing the ignition properties of the coated specimens compared to uncoated. In this study the physical, mechanical, thermal, and ignition properties of the bagasse paper sheets were enhanced by easy and low-cost method via synthesis of new coatings based on commercially available chemicals in a reasonable cost.

Bagasse sugarcane (BSC) has low fibre strength due to low cellulose content. Hence, by adding a strong secondary fibre that is high in cellulose such as pineapple leaf fibre (PALF), the fibre strength of the system can be improved. High portion of PALF decreased the composite paper performance because the high composition of PALF tends to produce flocs and agglomerates fibres. The arrangement of the fibres in composite paper should be improved so that this agglomerate’s effect could be overcome. A novel multilayer hybrid fibre composite was used. BSC/PALF with several hybrid ratios was studied in terms of the mechanical and moisture properties of the produced paper sheet and the results showed that multilayer hybrid composite paper produced higher in hybrid composite paper’s properties compared with random hybrid composite paper. The colour of multilayer hybrid fibre composite paper resembled the natural bright colour of BSC and the multilayer hybrid fibre composite paper also shown a slightly low weight loss percentage compared with the random hybrid fibre composite paper after 60 days of soil burial test. As a conclusion, multilayer hybrid fibre composite produced the stronger interfibre bonding and overcome the agglomerate’s effect between BSC/PALF compared with random hybrid fibre composite.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) technology featuring low-cost, high-efficiency and scalability has presented great advantages in micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) fabrication. However, the limited capacitance of LIG based MSCs is still hindering their further development. Herein, we introduce joule heating as a critical in-situ treatment merged with the assembly of laser-induced graphene paper based MSCs (LIGP-MSCs) toward capacitive enhancement. By increasing heating-treatment temperature from ∼20 to 500 °C, the number of nanopores in LIGP continuously increases, attributed to the gradual decomposition of amorphous carbon components. The resulting joule-heated LIGP (J-LIGP) with improved specific surface area (160.97–533.49 m2/g) and pore volume (0.179–0.553 cm3/g) as well as superhydrophilic surface is highly suitable to be employed as J-LIGP-MSCs microelectrodes. By investigating process dependent performance, the J-LIGP-MSCs heated at 500 °C for 60 min delivers a significantly improved specific areal capacitance (CA) of 13.71 mF/cm2 at 10 mV/s, which is approximately six-fold higher than that of unheated LIGP-MSCs. By further exploring and optimizing the process efficiency, J-LIGP-MSCs with a CA of 12.61 mF/cm2 has been achieved by 550 °C heating for only 5 min. Along with superior mechanical flexibility, cyclability and structural modularity, the proposed in-situ joule heating treatment is finally proved to be a universal approach for consistently enhancing the CA of LIG based MSCs processed under various chemical modifications.

Paper has been widely employed as cheap material for the development of a great number of sensors such as pregnancy tests, strips to measure blood sugar, and COVID-19 rapid tests. The need for new low-cost analytical devices is growing, and consequently the use of these platforms will be extended to different assays, both for the final consumer and within laboratories. This work describes a paper-based electrochemical sensing platform that uses a paper disc conveniently modified with recognition molecules and a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) to achieve the detection of gluten in a deep eutectic solvent (DES). This is the first method coupling a paper biosensor based on aptamers and antibodies with the DES ethaline. Ethaline proved to be an excellent extraction medium allowing the determination of very low gluten concentrations. The biosensor is appropriate for the determination of gluten with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.2 mg L−1 of sample; it can detect gluten extracted in DES with a dynamic range between 0.2 and 20 mg L−1 and an intra-assay coefficient of 10.69%. This approach can be of great interest for highly gluten-sensitive people, who suffer from ingestion of gluten quantities well below the legal limit, which is 20 parts per million in foods labeled gluten-free and for which highly sensitive devices are essential. Graphical abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reveal the usability of waste paper sludge on the production of composite materials and the printability of their surfaces were investigated. Design/methodology/approach First, composite plates were produced by using dried and milled waste sludge together with polyester resin and epoxy. Screen printing using water, solvent and UV-based inks were carried out. Findings It was determined that UV and solvent-based inks in both resin groups were permanently attached to the surface of composite plates produced using paper mill waste sludge, while it was found that the adhesion was not achieved sufficiently in cardboard factory waste sludge. Originality/value The unique aspect of this study is obtained the composite plates from paper mill and cardboard mill waste sludge and improved the printability of them.

An innovative consolidation strategy for degraded paper is presented based on the reversible application of cellulose nanocrystals as sustainable fillers to reinforce mechanical properties and resistance to further degradation. The compatibility and efficacy of the proposed consolidation treatment are assessed first on pure cellulose paper, used as a model, by reliable techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, tensile tests, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, evidencing the influence of the surface functionalization of nanocellulose on the consolidation and protection effects. Then, the consolidation technique is applied to real aged paper samples from Breviarium romanum ad usum Fratrum Minorum S.P. (1738), demonstrating the promising potential of the suggested approach. Amperometric measurements, carried out with a smart electrochemical tool developed in our laboratory, demonstrate the reversibility of the proposed treatment by removal of the nanocrystalline cellulose from the paper surface with a suitable cleaning hydrogel. This completely new feature of the consolidation treatment proposed here satisfies a pivotal requisite in cultural heritage conservation because the methodological requirement for the ″reversibility″ of any conservation measure is a fundamental goal for restorers. A paper artifact, in fact, is subject to a number of natural and man-made hazards, inducing continuous degradation. With time, monitoring and consolidation actions need to be often performed to ensure conservation, and this tends to modify the status quo and compromise the artifact integrity. Removable treatments can potentially avoid erosion of the artifact integrity.

Paper manufacturing on a global scale is a highly competitive market which requires to constantly improve the manufacturing process to be competitive. To decrease production cost paper manufactures, add filler material prior to sheet forming to replace costly wood fiber based raw material. This research project investigates the use of in-situ precipitated calcium carbonate produced in the presence of eucalyptus fiber material at a 41.0% filler level prior to beating. The in-situ filler containing eucalyptus fiber suspension was used on a 12’ (304mm) wide Laboratory Fourdrinier Paper Machine together with non-filler containing eucalyptus fiber material, and a commercial precipitated calcium carbonate filler material. The manufactured in-situ fiber suspension resulted in a higher ash retention compared to the addition of the powdered commercial PCC filler material. In addition to commercial filler material retention is improved at higher filler addition above 30%. The increased ash retention is linked to the increased micro fibrillation fiber material of the in-situ filler-fiber suspension forming neckless like particles on the fibers microfibrils. Mechanical paper properties showed an improvement for in-situ precipitated filler material compared to commercial filler material addition. Optical properties could be improved in comparison to the eucalyptus fiber without filler addition for in-situ precipitated filler material and a combination of in-situ and commercial filler material.

Tremendous attention has been paid on high efficiency, readily available and stability of electrocatalysts. Herein, we ingenious report a one-step reaction strategy synthesis of CoFe/CP grown on three-dimensional (3D) nanoarray carbon paper (CP) containing non-precious metals for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with low-cost and unique hierarchical porous structure. This amorphous CoFe/CP hybrid exhibits commendable electrocatalytic performance in the OER process, requiring only overpotential of 278 mV to achieve 10 mAcm−2 in 1.0 M KOH solution and a lower Tafel slope of 49.12 mVdec-1. In addition, this sample shows a long-term durability even at 200 mAcm−2 without obvious decay, which attributes to peculiar multistage graded nano structure and the change of composition at the interface of CP. Therefore, the remarkable OER activity can provide a new strategy to construct potential candidates, which will replace the state-of-the-art precious metals for OER in the future.

Free-standing flexible supercapacitive electrodes have practical application for wearable energy storage devices. In this paper, graphene paper (GP), a flexible electrode substrate, was prepared by one-step reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using HI solution. GP can be used independently as a flexible electrode with specific capacitance of 227 F/g. In order to make up for the shortage of GP specific capacitance storage, polyaniline (PANI) with high specific capacitance and good electrical conductivity was selected to composite with GP by electrochemical polymerization approach. This method to fabricate electrode material by direct electrochemical polymerization avoids the use of conductive binder and organic solvent. Owing to the specific capacitance contribution of PANI and GP, the PANI/GP composites exhibit higher specific capacitance when the polymerization time is 30 s and the polymerization voltage is 0.8 V. At 1 A/g current density, the specific capacitance of composite is up to 759 F/g, which is 3.34 times of neat GP.

Million tons of cellulosic paper have been used for insulating coils in oil-filled electrical power transformers, thereby assuring the electricity supply for our societies. The high working temperatures in transformers constantly degrade paper insulators throughout their service life of up to 40 years. We approached the structural changes in oil-immersed cellulosic paper samples upon thermal stress in a study that compared unbleached softwood Kraft paper used as insulator paper with pure cotton cellulose paper. The model experiments used a thermal treatment in transformer oil at 170 °C for up to 14 days. The samples were characterized by means of 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, mainly based on deconvolution of the C4 resonance. An automated, fast, and reproducible C4 resonance deconvolution employing the “Peak Analyzer” tool of OriginPro 2020 (OriginLab Corporation, USA) was developed and used to exploit 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy for the characterization of thermally stressed paper samples. Our results show that thermally induced structural changes depend heavily on the composition of paper, that hornification and coalescence of fibrils take place, and that the allomorph composition of cellulose crystallites is altered under the given conditions. Graphical abstract

Poly ( p-phenylene benzoisoxazole; PBO) paper is a potential raw material for use in honeycomb sandwich composites in the aerospace industry, which are able to sustain high temperatures exceeding 300°C. This work presents a wet-forming method of making PBO paper, consisting of PBO chopped fibers. The paper was impregnated with phenolic resin to simulate honeycomb wall material. The structure and mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of the raw and impregnated paper were characterized. The performance of PBO paper was tested against p-aramid paper. The comparative results showed the tensile strength of PBO raw paper was 2.17 kN/m, which was slightly worse than p-aramid raw paper: 2.66 kN/m. After impregnation, the tensile strength of the PBO paper was 13.93 kN/m due to the increase in the number of bonding points—better than p-aramid paper: 7.99 kN/m. The tearing resistance value for PBO raw paper versus p-aramid raw paper was 3252 mN against 845 mN. The morphology of the torn samples in the impregnated paper revealed higher levels of PBO fiber pullout than p-aramid fiber, therefore the tearing resistance value was 6000 mN for PBO impregnated paper, which was again superior to p-aramid impregnated paper: 675 mN. The PBO paper also showed higher storage modulus than p-aramid paper after impregnation. Experimental studies showed that PBO paper could be used in load-bearing structures and in honeycomb components where high resistance to deformation and thermal stability is necessary.

Water absorption is a key property in several tissue paper materials and can be a differentiating factor in terms of consumer choice. The converting modifications applied in the tissue industry can improved absorbency properties. For this purpose, the main goal of the present work is to study the influence of “deco” and “micro” embossing on water absorption capacity, Klemm capillary rise, and liquid spreading kinetics in tissue papers. An industrial never-dried bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp, a creped industrial base tissue paper, and a disintegrated fibrous suspension obtained from the same industrial paper were used to produce structures with and without “deco” and “micro” embossing patterns. The results indicate that the “micro” embossing process promoted bulky and porous structures, enhancing water absorption capacity and Klemm capillary rise properties, while the “dec” embossing pattern decreased water absorption capacity properties. The creping process also increased the water absorption capacity but decreased Klemm capillary rise properties along with the fiber mixtures. Regarding the liquid spreading kinetics, both embossing patterns decreased this property in uncreped isotropic structures, contrary to creped anisotropic structures. The eucalyptus and softwood fibers mixture improved the spreading kinetics compared to the creping process. The performance of structures with and without embossing allowed to quantify the liquid retention properties, combining ISO experimental methods and an optical system that records the liquid interaction with fibrous structures. In conclusion, this laboratory embossing method can be used as an alternative method to optimize converting operations and the final tissue paper characterization, on a laboratory scale.

The blend (wax M) of crude by-product polyolefin wax (wax K) and a fractionated commercial paraffin wax (wax J) was suggested to replace the wax J as a coating agent for wax-coated papers. The rheological properties of waxes J, K, and M were examined and compared. The correlation between viscosity and shear rate applied on these waxes maintained at 90 oC and 130 oC was identified. In particular, this paper, for the first time, presented non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior of not only wax K but also its blend of wax M in terms of their viscosity affected by shear rate at an operating temperature below their melting temperature of higher-melting-temperature DSC endothermic peaks (HMTEPs). They showed non-Newtonian behavior, so-called shear thinning behavior, at 90 oC in the light of characteristics of both suspension systems and polymer systems. In addition, the profiles of viscosity at 130 oC of all the waxes versus the shear rate exhibited Newtonian fluid behavior. Wax J also showed the behavior of a dilatant fluid. Then, the physical properties including water vapor transmission rates (WVTR), surface roughness, and coated weights, of thin papers coated with waxes J (WJP), K (WKP), and M (WMP) were evaluated, characterized, and compared. As a result, WMP had an equivalent value to that of WJP or the lowest value among wax-coated papers in terms of WVTR. The surface roughness and the barrier property of WVTR were minimized and enhanced, respectively, by blending waxes J and K. The additional physical properties, including dynamic contact angles, surface tension, wet and dry tensile strength, optical examination of the wax-coated fiber structure, and antimicrobial properties of the wax-coated papers, were evaluated. The excellent antimicrobial properties of clinoptilolite added to wax J or wax M appeared.

The pursuit for sustainability in the papermaking industry calls for the elimination or reduction of synthetic additives and the exploration of renewable and biodegradable alternatives. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), due to their inherent morphological and biochemical properties, are an excellent alternative to synthetic additives. These properties enable CNFs to improve the mechanical, functional, and barrier properties of different types of paper. The nanosize diameter, micrometre length, semicrystalline structure, high strength, and modulus of CNFs have a direct influence on the mechanical properties of paper, such as tensile index, burst index, Scott index, breaking length, tear index, Z-strength, E-modulus, strain at break, and tensile stiffness. This review details the role played by CNFs as an additive to improve strength properties of paper and the factors affecting the improvement in paper quality when CNFs are added as additives. The paper also includes techno-economic aspects of the process and identifies areas that need further research.

In this paper, the mechanical properties of nano-silica modified insulating paper under the combined action of mechanical vibration and temperature conditions are studied. Unmodified and nano-silica modified cellulose insulating paper with 2 wt% and 4 wt% were prepared, respectively, and a series of mechanical-thermal synergy experiments were carried out. With the same mechanical stress and temperature, and with the same aging duration of 144 h (6d), the tensile strength of modified insulating paper with 4 wt% nano-silica, increased 0.99 kN/m and 0.55 kN/m, respectively, compared with those of the unmodified and the 2 wt% nano-silica modified insulating paper. The experiments indicate that the nano-silica modification can effectively improve the mechanical properties of insulating paper. In this work, the modified mechanism of nano-silica is analyzed from the interface effect of modified polymer and the quantum effect of the modified polymer interface two aspects. It is shown that the interface formed in the modified insulating paper can transfer the mechanical stress acted on the insulating paper and prevent the cracks formed in the aging process of the test sample from further expansion, while the quantum effect discretizes the electron energy level, which can restrict the motion of the molecular chain segment to some extent. The conclusion can be used for reference to improve the performance of insulating paper.

Graphene paper with good mechanical strength, flexibility, and high conductivity is an emerging functional material for wide applications, but its feasible and scalable preparation remains a challenge. Herein, a high strength, flexible, and conductive graphene/polypropylene (PP) fiber paper was prepared by a traditional papermaking process. In the composite paper, graphene nanosheets were well stabilized on the PP fibers forming a stable three-dimensional conductive interleaved network. Chitosan was found able to build a polar active interface on PP fibers and graphene nanosheets, which can not only promote PP fiber dispersion in water yielding a uniform pulp, but also favor the retention of graphene in the composite paper. As a result, the composite paper presents high strength (15.32 MPa), good conductivity (11,995 S/m), shielding effectiveness (31.1 dB), water resistance, fungi-proof, and thermal conductivity (10.17 W m−1 k−1) properties. This work demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale preparation of graphene composite paper with commercial synthetic fibers through a traditional papermaking process, and expands the potential industrial application of graphene materials. Graphene/chitosan co-aggregates were absorbed on the surface of graphene/chitosan/PP fiber under the electrostatic interaction of CPAM to form graphene/PP fiber.

Purpose In flexible electronics applications, organic inks are mostly used for inkjet printing. Three-dimensional (3 D) printing technology has the advantages of low cost, high speed and good precision in modern electronic printing. The purpose of this study is to solve the high cost of traditional printing and the pollution emissions of organic ink. It is necessary to develop a water-based conductive ink that is easily degradable and can be 3 D printed. A nano-silver ink printed circuit pattern with high precision, high conductivity and good mechanical properties is a promising strategy. Design/methodology/approach The researched nano-silver conductive ink is mainly composed of silver nanoparticles and resin. The effect of adding methyl cellulose on the ink was also explored. A simple 3 D circuit pattern was printed on photographic paper. The line width, line length, line thickness and conductivity of the printed circuit were tested. The influence of sintering temperature and sintering time on pattern resistivity was studied. The relationship between circuit pattern bending performance and electrical conductivity is analyzed. Findings The experimental results show that the ink has the characteristics of low silver content and good environmental protection effect. The printing feasibility of 3 D printing circuit patterns on paper substrates was confirmed. The best printing temperature is 160°C–180°C, and the best sintering time is 30 min. The circuit pattern can be folded 120°, and the cycle is folded more than 60 times. The minimum resistivity of the circuit pattern is 6.07 µΩ·cm. Methyl cellulose can control the viscosity of the ink. The mechanical properties of the pattern have been improved. The printing method of 3 D printing can significantly reduce the sintering time and temperature of the conductive ink. These findings may provide innovation for the flexible electronics industry and pave the way for alternatives to cost-effective solutions. Originality/value In this study, direct ink writing technology was used to print circuit patterns on paper substrates. This process is simple and convenient and can control the thickness of the ink layer. The ink material is nonpolluting to the environment. Nano-silver ink has suitable viscosity and pH value. It can meet the requirements of pneumatic 3 D printers. The method has the characteristics of simple process, fast forming, low cost and high environmental friendliness.

To explore the reinforcement effects of different reinforcement methods, kraft paper was used as reinforcement material, and shear tests were carried out in sand to study the reinforcement effects of kraft paper perpendicular and parallel to the shear plane. The test results show that the two reinforcement methods can effectively improve the strength of sand and the orthogonal reinforcement form is more superior. The existence of reinforced materials greatly improves the cohesion of sand, but does not significantly improve the internal friction angle. The width of reinforcement material has little effect on the reinforcement effect and shows different variation laws under different reinforcement forms.

Paper-based fluorescence devices, with smartphone aids, bring considerable operation convenience for tetracycline (TC) sensing. Nevertheless, they must meet the challenge in real determination against complicated backgrounds. Considering that, we present a programmable-printing paper-based device and then apply it to TC determination for various natural samples. MoS2 NPs and Gmp/Eu-Cit are synthetized as composite probes. A static quenching process is found with MoS2 NP fluorescence at 430 nm, while significant magnification of Gmp/Eu-Cit emission is obtained at 617 nm, establishing a valuable ratiometric indicator. Remarkably, two-stage programmable printing maximizes the proposed sensing capability. A transitive device, containing a gradually changing amount of a certain probe, is prepared to sense TC. With a homemade smartphone application and 3D-printed measurement chamber, the corresponding signals are examined to explore optimal setups. These setups are automatically processed to prepare the final-version device, not requiring manual operations. Benefitting from this interesting feature, the proposed device gains many rewards in performances. It effectively senses TC in a wide range from 12.7 nM to 80 μM and simultaneously provides naked eye-legible signals and smartphone-based readouts with confident selectivity and stability. This device is consequently applied for various samples of soil, river water, milk, and serum and meets well with HPLC-MS and recovery tests.

Mechanical properties are crucial in assessing the paper quality. Deformation and strength properties of paper are determined by the strength and stiffness of the interfiber and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The contribution ratio of interfiber and intermolecular hydrogen bonds to the strength of paper can be changed by adjusting the degree of its anisotropy. The article presents the results on a study of the deformation properties of laboratory anisotropic paper samples from kraft bleached softwood pulp with a beating degree of 30 °SR. The samples had basic weight of 90 g/m2 and the degree of stiffness anisotropy TSIMD/CD of 1.75–4.08. They were made by using Techpap SAS automatic dynamic handsheet former (Grenoble, France), with varying forming parameters – diameter of the nozzle, motion speed of the forming wire, and injecting speed of pulp. Deformation properties were determined by tensile test and processing of the stress-strain dependence (σ−ε). The outcomes have shown that, an increase of the fiber orientation degree in paper structure by changing the forming parameters caused a change in the nature of the paper deformation under tension. Increasing the fiber orientation degree in the structure of paper made it possible to increase the strength by 55 %, tensile stiffness by 63 % in the machine direction, while reducing the extensibility by 10 %. In the cross direction, it was possible to decrease tensile stiffness by 33 %, strength by 55 %, and increase the extensibility by 5 %. Anisotropy of tensile strength was 1.73–6.00. The greatest effect was obtained for the elasticity modulus in the pre-failure zone E2 (2.8–38.6). It means that, fiber orientation had a key importance when large deformations in the samples took place. The established quantitative regularities allowed optimizing the values of the deformation and strength properties of paper, and their ratio in the machine direction and cross direction due to the variation of the forming parameters. For citation: Rech D., Potasheva A.N., Kazakov Ya.V. Regulating the Deformation Properties of Paper by Varying the Degree of Its Anisotropy. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 5, pp. 174–184. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-5-174-184

All-paper sensors that are capable of free cutting and folding maximize the merits of papers, which fully utilize the unique potential of papers in cost effectiveness, flexibility, disposability, biodegradability, and a flexible design. However, most of the paper sensors have applied metals as the electrodes and polyimide/polydimethylsiloxane as the encapsulation/sensitive layers, limiting the advantages of the paper sensor. In this work, an all-paper, shape-designable, and reconfigurable capacitive pressure/proximity sensor is fabricated with multilayered tissue paper as the dielectric and polypyrrole printer paper as the electrode/encapsulation. Without the restriction of heterogeneous materials, the all-paper components enable the sensors' flexible shape design for freely cuttable and foldable 2D and 3D sensors including a 2D braille keyboard and even allow reconfiguration from a 3D box sensor to a 3D candy sensor. The all-paper sensor presents superior pressure-sensing performance (0.96 kPa-1 at

Cellulosic insulating paper is the essential component of the insulation in power transformers. Under the thermal stress inside the transformer, the cellulosic insulating paper degrades and generates formic acid. Meanwhile, the presence of formic acid further accelerates the aging process of cellulosic insulating paper. This study takes the cellulose molecule composed of D-glucose as the research object. The ReaxFF reactive force field is applied to simulate the high-temperature thermal aging process of cellulosic insulating paper. During pyrolysis process, the number of formic acid molecules presents short-term fluctuations and continuous increases. Though simulation, the main reaction pathways of cellulose pyrolysis to generate formic acid are obtained. In addition, an accelerated thermal aging experiment of oil-paper insulation is designed. The formic acid in the experimental samples is detected by the silanization derivatization method. Through the combination of simulation and experimental results, the feasibility of formic acid as an aging indicator for cellulosic insulating paper is further demonstrated.

Timely and rapid detection of biomarkers is extremely important for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, going to the hospital to test biomarkers is the most common way. People need to spend a lot of money and time on various tests for potential disease detection. To make the detection more convenient and affordable, we propose a paper-based aptasensor platform in this work. This device is based on a cellulose paper, on which a three-electrode system and microfluidic channels are fabricated. Meanwhile, novel nanomaterials consisting of amino redox graphene/thionine/streptavidin-modified gold nanoparticles/chitosan are synthesized and modified on the working electrode of the device. Through the biotin-streptavidin system, the aptamer whose 5'end is modified with biotin can be firmly immobilized on the electrode. The detection principle is that the current generated by the nanomaterials decreases proportionally to the concentration of targets owing to the combination of the biomarker and its aptamer. 17β-Estradiol (17β-E2), as one of the widely used diagnostic biomarkers of various clinical conditions, is adopted for verifying the performance of the platform. The experimental results demonstrated that this device enables the determination of 17β-E2 in a wide linear range of concentrations of 10 pg mL-1 to 100 ng mL-1 and the limit of detection is 10 pg mL-1 (S/N = 3). Moreover, it enables the detection of targets in clinical serum samples, demonstrating its potential to be a disposable and convenient integrated platform for detecting various biomarkers.

Free-standing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) papers were prepared by chemical reduction, thermal reduction and combined chemical-thermal reduction, respectively. Four-point probe and nanoindentation experiments were conducted to investigate the electrical and mechanical properties of rGO papers. The rGO paper prepared by soaking in L-ascorbic acid and thermal annealing in argon at 1000 °C (labeled rGO-AsA-T) showed superior electrical and mechanical properties when compared with rGO papers prepared merely by chemical reduction or thermal reduction. The as-prepared rGO-AsA-T paper exhibited an electrical conductivity of 5.7 × 104 S/m, showing an increase of 90% compared to that in the thermally annealed rGO paper and nearly 40 times that of rGO paper reduced by L-ascorbic acid. It was also found that the rGO-AsA-T paper had the lowest elastic modulus of 288 MPa, showing enhanced flexibility. The nearly free voids in rGO-AsA-T paper proved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were due to the capillary action in chemical reduction and were significant in improving the electrical conductivity and flexibility of the paper. The rGO-AsA-T paper with high conductivity and flexibility has a promising application in flexible electronics.

Graphene-based nanomaterials possess broad applications because of their excellent multi-functional properties. In this work, a facile self-assembling method was presented for preparing one kind of graphene oxide-based paper/hollow microspheres hybrid. It was found that most of the hollow microspheres can strongly anchored on the surface of graphene oxide paper (GOP) by an in-situ scanning electron microscope peeling testing combining with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In addition, the uniform distribution of hollow microspheres on the surface of GOP cannot only provide a better surface wettability, but also can effectively improve the interfacial stress-transfer capability between such hybrid and polymer matrix. Our work provides a guidance for the structural designs of graphene-based nanomaterials and broaden their applications.

The filter paper method is an economical, easily accessible, and simple-to-use method to measure total or matric suction over a wide suction range. Difficulty in handling the filter paper can result in inaccurate water content determination of the filter paper leading to poor estimation of the suction. This paper examines the feasibility of using electrical resistivity of the filter paper in the non-contact mode to determine equilibrium time and to infer the total suction. It was shown that for a specific set-up, electrical resistance (ER) can be used in place of electrical resistivity. Relationships between ER and water content of the filter paper and between ER and total suction were first established. Finally, a prototype set-up is used to demonstrate how it can be used to measure the total suction of soil specimens. It was demonstrated that ER of the filter paper can be used to provide a reasonable estimate of total suction greater than 100 kPa with an error between −18 and +10%. Better accuracy can be achieved if each filter paper is calibrated before use.

With the development of printed electronics technology, the demand for printed conductive inks had also put forward higher standards. The shortcomings of traditional printed circuit boards, such as complex technology, consumables, and pollution, had also been resolved with the development of 3D printing technology. In this paper, low-content silver nanoparticles were blended with graphene alcohol slurry and dissolved in a non-polluting solvent such as absolute ethanol. The synergistic effect of the composite of the hexagonal structure of the graphene sheet and the silver nanoparticles improved the ink’s performance of electrical conductivity, adding water-based polyurethane/acrylic resin system to improve the adhesion between ink and paper. The conductive ink can be used to 3D print circuit circuits on paper. After drying, the resistance was measured. After the battery, diode, and switch were connected, a circuit diagram was made. After pressing the diode emits was lighted. This work is expected to be applied to flexible circuit boards to provide basic research.

We aimed at producing sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) from waste paper cellulose. For this etherification, the raw material was waste paper, the cellulose was initially alkalized with NaOH, the etherifying agent was sodium chloroacetate, and the reaction medium was water or ethanol. The method provided by us, i e, a method for preparing CMC from waste paper, was environment-friendly, could be easily implemented, and could be conveniently applied to make waste paper efficiently used with high profit, and to expand the range of usable raw materials for CMC production. We successfully synthesized CMC and prepared CMC plastic membrane. This practice changes waste into valuables, which is beneficial to our living environment. For preparation of CMC, one of the crucial factors is appropriate pretreatment of the cellulose from waste paper. The pretreatment was done with a self-built hydrolysis method. We experimentally examined the effects of the mass ratios of reactants, reaction temperature, time, and reaction environment of homogeneous or heterogeneous on CMC yield. The innovative points of this research could be stated as follows: the reaction activity of cellulose was improved by pre-hydrolysis; synthesizing CMC with cellulose from waste paper changes waste into valuables is beneficial to our living environment; and a freezing treatment for the cellulose-alkali mixture was innovatively added. The effects were exhibited by a desired final conversion efficiency.

Today, recycling is becoming increasingly important. In recycling process, the product performance should also be considered. In this study, manufacturing insulation fiberboard, as a practical wood product from recycled fibers, was investigated. For this purpose, two types of waste (MDF wastes and waste paper) were recycled to fibers and used for producing insulation fiberboards. The target fiberboard density was 0.3 g/cm3. The ratio of waste paper to MDF waste recycled fibers (WP/RF) was considered at two levels of 70/30 and 50/50. Polyvinyl acetate adhesive was used as a variable in the board manufacturing process. The mechanical properties, dimensional stability, thermal conductivity, and fire resistance of the boards were evaluated. Besides, the thermal stability of fiberboards was studied using thermal analysis including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results showed that the insulation fiberboards had admissible mechanical properties and dimensional stability. The manufactured boards displayed low thermal conductivity, which proved to be well competitive with other insulation materials. The fiberboards manufactured with PVAc adhesive and WP/RF ratio of 50/50 had higher fire resistance compared to other treatments. Additionally, results of thermal analysis showed that the use of PVAc adhesive and WP/RF ratio of 50/50 leads to improved thermal stability. Overall, the recycled fibers from MDF and paper wastes appear to be appropriate raw materials for manufacturing thermal insulation panels, and use of PVAc adhesive can significantly improve thermal and practical properties of insulation fiberboards., Danas recikliranje postaje sve važnije, a u tom postupku treba uzeti u obzir i svojstva proizvoda koji se recikliranjem dobivaju. U ovom je radu istražena proizvodnja izolacijske ploče vlaknatice kao praktičnoga drvnog proizvoda od recikliranih vlakana. Za tu su namjenu u vlakna reciklirane dvije vrste otpada (MDF otpad i papirni otpad), koje su iskorištene za proizvodnju izolacijskih ploča vlaknatica. Ciljana gustoća ploče vlaknatice bila je 0,3 g/cm3. Planirani je omjer vlakana recikliranih od otpadnog papira i MDF otpada (WP/RF) iznosio 70 : 30 i 50 : 50. U procesu proizvodnje ploča upotrijebljeno je polivinilacetatno ljepilo. Eksperimentom su određena ova mehanička svojstva ploča: dimenzijska stabilnost, toplinska vodljivost i vatrootpornost. Osim toga, uz pomoć toplinske analize koja je podrazumijevala termogravimetrijsku analizu (TGA) i diferencijalnu toplinsku analizu (DTA) istražena je toplinska stabilnost ploča vlaknatica. Rezultati su pokazali da izolacijske ploče vlaknatice imaju odgovarajuća mehanička svojstva i dimenzijsku stabilnost. Usto, proizvedene su ploče imale nisku toplinsku vodljivost, što potvrđuje njihovu konkurentnost s ostalim izolacijskim materijalima. Ploče vlaknatice proizvedene s PVAc ljepilom i uz omjer WP/RF od 50 : 50 imale su veću vatrootpornost od ploča proizvedenih ostalim postupcima (omjerima sastojaka). Usto, rezultati toplinske analize pokazali su da upotreba PVAc ljepila i omjer WP/RF od 50 : 50 pridonose poboljšanoj toplinskoj stabilnosti. Zaključno, reciklirana vlakna od MDF otpada i otpadnog papira čine se prikladnom sirovinom za proizvodnju termoizolacijskih ploča, a uporaba PVAc ljepila može znatno poboljšati toplinska i uporabna svojstva takvih izolacijskih ploča vlaknatica.

An increase in the environmental and health concerns over fluorochemical‐based, wax‐based, and extrusion‐based paper coatings has led to a growing interest in bio‐based, biodegradable, and repulpable alternatives to obtain water‐ and oil‐repellent coatings. Reported herein is a fluorine‐free, plastic‐free, and cost‐effective water and grease resistant paper coating approach that utilizes blends of corn‐starch (S) and a novel chitosan‐graft‐polydimethylsiloxane (CP) copolymer. The hydrophobic and oleophobic performance of the S/CP‐coated paper was evaluated by varying the ratio of S and CP in the overall blend. The S/CP‐coated papers were observed to have low cobb60 values (water absorptivity) of 13 ± 0.9 g m−2 and an excellent kit rating (oil resistance) of 12/12. The S/CP‐coated paper substrate surface profile was analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The repulpability of the coated paper is also demonstrated by washing the coating materials from the paper and recovering the pulp.

Despite previous efforts, the fabrication of superhydrophobic substrate via an environment friendly and easy approach remains a great challenge. In this study, a low cost, simple, and green procedure was developed to prepare a superhydrophobic paper surface that is acceptable for the papermaking industry. First, a wax mixture (beeswax & carnauba wax) was emulsified and coated on the filter paper surface. Then, the coated paper was annealed at different temperatures. The further heat-treatment-rendered wax-coated paper hydrophobic or superhydrophobic because submicrometer or micrometer wax structures were present on the paper surface. The water contact angle of the annealed filter paper sample reached 151.5° at 60 °C, and the sliding angle was under 10°. Further, the relationship between surface composition and the hydrophobic properties of the coated paper samples was discussed. The obtained paper samples showed great potential in water/oil separation, as they had an efficiency over 99%. This work proposed a new simple and mild approach to fabricate superhydrophobic filter papers and explored the hydrophobicity and water/oil separation properties.

Today the print quality of digital printing techniques has improved and is considered satisfactory and competitive to analogue techniques for certain graphic products. Satisfactory print quality mostly depends on the interaction of ink and printing substrate where ink penetration has an important role. Namely, the ink penetration affects the parameters that describe the print quality together with visual appearance of print density and mottling. Therefore, it is important to select an adequate printing substrate for each printing technique. Awareness of environmental problems related to the shortage of wood raw materials has led to an increase in the use of recycled printing paper and in particular the implementation of new alternative sources of cellulose fibres instead of virgin wood fibres in the papermaking process. In this research the emphasis is precisely on defining the influence of ink penetration into laboratory papers made of triticale pulp on the final print quality. The laboratory printing papers were obtained by mixing triticale pulp with pulp from recycled fibres in three different portions. Papers were thereafter printed by ultraviolet (UV) inkjet printer and the ink penetration within laboratory papers with and without straw pulp was analysed using two methods of ink penetration analysis (microscopic/spectroscopic). The influence of ink penetration on the final print quality was observed and analysed based on several quality parameters (optical ink density, mottling and colorimetric values). These results confirmed that triticale pulp in laboratory papers provides equal print quality compared to laboratory papers made only from pulp from recycled fibres.

Cellulose based nanomaterials have the great potential to be applied to paper as bulk additive or coating material to improve overall final properties, especially in secondary fiber. In the present work, the effect of applying different kinds of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) to papers obtained from recycled fibers using size press on physical, mechanical and barrier properties was investigated and compared with the sole use of starch as coating material. The coating process of CNF was carried out by the addition of size press grade starch to coating suspension. As a cellulose source, wheat straw was evaluated and CNF was obtained through oxidative and enzymatic pretreatments. Results indicate that starch/CNF suspension improves the overall paper properties. As a result of the deposition of coating suspension contains of 4 % wt. periodate-oxidized CNF onto paper surface, tensile and burst indices of papersheets increased as 52.2 % and 194.4 %. Significant decreases were observed in air permeability as 69.8 %. Compression tests also have been conducted to evaluate papersheets end-use properties. In comparison to the other pretreated CNF, due to is lower viscosity, applying periodate-oxidized CNF as size press significantly increased the mechanical properties of the papers fabricated from the recycled pulps. TUBITAK-TEYDEBTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [1505]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate [1505, 5180044] This work was supported by TUBITAK-TEYDEB 1505 (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate 1505), Project No. 5180044. WOS:000703585400013 2-s2.0-85108063350

Hydrothermal Carbonization an emerging technology for the conversion of biomass into carbon rich materials called as hydrochar. In this study, the paper board mill ETP sludge has been used for the production of hydrochar. The characterization of point of zero charge, Heavy metals, proximate and ultimate constituents, structural morphology (SEM), and molecular surface functionalities (FTIR) were also analysed. The results of Hydrochar showed slightly acidic pH (6.40), EC (1.33), and the pHPZC (point of zero charge) of 7.8 and the heavy metals content were found to be below detectable limit. FTIR analysis revealed that, the produced hydrochar have oxygen containing functional groups (-OH, C-O-C, -C=O). SEM analysis has the morphological features such as spongy, fuzzy and fluffy porous network on surfaces. These results of hydrochar can be act as an active adsorbent with further activation.

Developing efficient and stable non-noble metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for sustainable overall water-splitting is extremely desirable but still a great challenge. Herein, we developed a facile strategy to fabricate Co3O4–CoOOH heterostructure nanosheet arrays with oxygen vacancies grown on carbon paper (Co3O4–CoOOH/CP). Benefiting from the unique 3D architecture, large surface area, synergistic effects between Co3O4, CoOOH and oxygen vacancies, the obtained self-supporting Co3O4–CoOOH/CP presents excellent electrocatalytic OER activity (low overpotentials of 245 and 390 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2) and robust long-term stability in alkaline condition. The present strategy provides the opportunities for the future rational design and discovery of high-performance non-noble metal based electrocatalysts for advanced water oxidation and beyond.

In this research work, we present a synthesis of silver and cobalt bimetal nanoparticles stabilized by a carboxymethyl cellulose biopolymer (CMC-AgCo) and its coating on a cellulose filter paper (CFP) to prepare the dip-catalyst. All the prepared samples were subjected to characterization by scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology, EDX, XRD and thermogravimetric analysis. The catalytic properties of the CFP/CMC-AgCo as dip-catalysts were evaluated in the reduction of organic nitroaromatic pollutants of 2,6-dinitrophenol to 2,6-diaminophenol as well as the 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. It was found that the reduction reaction advanced with the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The CFP/CMC-AgCo catalyzed the 2,6-diaminophenol and 4-nitrophenol with a reaction rate constant of 0.1244 and 0.177 min− 1, respectively. The separation of the CFP/CMC-AgCo was easy as it required a simple pulling of the strip from the reaction medium. Importantly, the catalytic reaction rates and conversion percentages of the two nitroaromatics were well-maintained for multiple times during recycling experiments.

Time-limited exposure of electrode-free optically rewritable electronic paper is essential for applications, but performance characteristics can be modest. In this study we investigate whether imag...

High strength concrete (HSC) is an amazing breakthrough in the history of construction material. Due to its high strength, durability, and economic value, it has been used in large-scale construction with a unique structure design not achievable by conventional concrete. However, HSC uses a high amount of cement powder which contributes to its overall strength. However, it will require high cement consumption and increases carbon dioxide emission. Waste paper sludge ash (WPSA) is utilised in cement and has improved concrete properties. Nano engineered WPSA might further enhance HSC capabilities. This research focused on the physical and fresh properties of HSC with partial replacement of nano-engineered WPSA to cement through experimental investigation. The HSC produced in this research has a targeted strength of more than 40MPa with a fixed water-cement ratio of 0.2. The WPSA was oven-dried and was sieved to a particle size of 212 micrometers. Then, it was milled until a nano-size particle is obtained. The nano WPSA is used to replace cement in the HSC mix with a replacement percentage of 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10%. The new properties of the concrete were measured by conducting the flow table test, and the physical property was determined by conducting the compressive test. Compressive tests were conducted for 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days with a cube sample size of 50mm x 50mm x 50mm. This research shows that 1% of nano WPSA replacement tends to improve the compressive strength of the HSC concrete by 10.7% compared to the control sample. On the other hand, the 1% replacement of nano WPSA in HSC did not affect the concrete's workability compared to the control sample. The conventional HSC properties were improved with less usage of cement with the use of WPSA.

The sorption properties of organomineral composite sorbents have been investigated by ICP-MS method. The diatomite of the Jradzor deposit and bentonite of the Sarigyuh deposit (Armenia) were used as inorganic constituents. Diatomite serves as a structure-forming component and provides mass transfer due to its high porosity (V = 2.0 cm3/g) and large pore sizes (150–200 nm). Bentonite is responsible for the functionality of the sorbents. The organic component is also responsible for the functionality of the obtained sorbents. Paper pretreated with acids (nitric and phosphoric) was used as an organic component. A synthetic solution containing cations of heavy metals was used as an object of study. The experiments were carried out in static mode on a Jar-Test device.

Polymeric felts are commonly used in the papermaking process on the paper machine wet end, in the press section, and in the dryer section. They provide an important function during paper manufacturing, including as a carrier or support; as a filter media assisting with water removal on the paper machine; in retention of fibers, fines, and fillers; and in some applications, such as tissue and towel, to impart key structural features to the web. These felts can have highly interwoven complex internal structures comprised of machine direction and cross-machine direction yarns of varying sizes and chemical compositions. Here, we present a non-intrusive three-dimensional (3D) image visualization method using advanced X-ray computed tomography (XRCT). This method was used to characterize the complex 3D felt structure and determine the water removal characteristics of some commonly used paper machine felts. The structural features analyzed include porosity; specific pore-yarn interfacial surface area; 3D pore size distribution; 3D fiber or yarn-size distribution; and their variations through the thickness direction. The top, middle, and bottom layers of the felt have very different structures to assist with water removal and impart paper properties. The size distribution of the yarns, as well as the pores in the different layers of the felt, are also inherently different. These structural features were non-intrusively quantified. In addition, variation in the structural characteristics through the thickness of the felts and its potential role in papermaking is explored. In addition to the 3D structural characteristics, permeability characteristics and water removal characteristics, including rewetting of select felt samples, have also been experimentally determined. It is interesting to observe the relationship between key structural features and permeability and water removal characteristics. These relationships can provide additional insights into press felt design, as well as ways to improve product properties and the dewatering efficiency and productivity of the paper machine.

Sandwich-structured nanocomposites have the potential to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of materials simultaneously. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) modified paper sheet (denominated as N) and softwood paper sheet (denominated as P) are used to prepare insulating paper. Different kinds of insulating paper with the structures of PPP, NNN, NPN and PNP are prepared. Tensile strength, DC conductivity, dielectric response, space charge and breakdown strength are measured. The activation energies of prepared materials are calculated through DC conductivity at 30, 50, 70, and 90 °C. The mechanism for sandwich structure regulating the mechanical and breakdown properties of insulating paper is discussed. Oil impregnated N/P/N paper has a remarkable improvement on tensile strength, conductivity, and DC breakdown strength, which provides a promising scheme to obtain the insulating paper with outstanding tensile and breakdown strength.

Rice straw waste is a lignocellulosic waste produced by farmers in large quantities. In this study, regenerated cellulose (RC) from rice straw was prepared by dissolving rice straw holocellulose (HC) in NaOH/Urea/Thiourea/Water solution by the freeze-thawing process. The crystallinity index of RC was calculated at 31%, which is out of the crystallinity range of 39%–69% that has been previously suggested. The study indicated that the RC is amorphous with a low degree of polymerization (638) and higher hydroxyl group content as compared to HC. The fiber length of RC was found to be 26.7% shorter; however, the width of RC was 21.2% higher as compared to HC. Reduced kinked fiber content was observed in the fraction of RC (18.3%) as compared with HC (39.1%), and a higher curl index of fiber was observed more so in HC (10.5%) than RC (5.6%). Because of the regeneration process, the fiber length was reduced and a fines element content of about 96% was observed in RC compared to the initial fines content of HC (56.9%). Irrespective of the high fines element content of RC, the composite paper of rice straw bleached pulp and RC fibers was developed with an increase in the tensile index from 41.4 N.m/g to 71.2 N.m/g and an increase in the burst index from 4.7 kPa.m2/g to 5.3 kPa.m2/g with the addition of 5% and 15% RC, respectively. However, enhanced tear index of paper was observed up to 5% and then it declined upon further addition of RC. The study revealed that regenerated cellulose can be used as a strength additive to overcome the shortcomings of low mechanical properties in paper products.

An approach of green in situ synthesis single-step method was applied to produce antibacterial paper. The objective was to investigate the effect of precursor addition on the formation of zinc oxide particles using an in situ single-step method. Zinc chloride concentrations of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 M were prepared and added into a solution of algae extract and bamboo pulp. The prepared pulps were tested and made into handsheets using a papermaking machine based on TAPPI T205 (2006). Morphological observation of treated papers was conducted using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). An average of 400 to 570 nm zinc oxide spherical-shaped particle was observed on the fibers of paper. The percentage of element composition of the treated paper were 15.08% to 34.08% of zinc and 17.45% to 32.59% of oxygen captured via scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis. The crystallinity test was performed using X-ray dispersion (XRD). A higher percentage of precursors exhibited a more amorphous structure. A measurement of more than 30% increment of inhibition zone was obtained from 10.00 to 25.00 mm against S. aureus, S. choleraesuis, and E. coli. Precursors addition of more than 0.3 M would have the most potential to enhance the growth of zinc oxide via in situ preparation, hence providing better antibacterial properties of the prepared papers.

In this work, we fabricated a novel origami paper-based analytical device (oPAD) assisted by the nanostructuring effect of in situ Pd decoration of Cu/Co-doped CeO2 (CuCo-CeO2-Pd) nanospheres, functionalized with their strongly enhanced electrocatalytic properties to realize an electrochemical and visual signal readout system in oPAD, for highly sensitive detection of amyloid-β (Aβ). The CuCo-CeO2-Pd nanospheres were introduced as an enhanced "signal transducer layer" on account of the electron transfer acceleration caused by catalyzing glucose to produce H2O2 for differential pulse voltammetry signal readout and further 3,3'5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation for colorimetric analysis. Meanwhile, for achieving superior performance of the proposed oPAD, in situ growth of urchin-like gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) onto cellulose fibers was adopted to improve "the recognition layer" in favor of immobilizing antibodies for targeting Aβ through specific antigen-antibody interactions. Combined with the delicate design of oPAD, exhibiting actuation of the conversion procedure between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity on paper tabs in the assay process, the oPAD successfully enabled sensitive diagnosis of Aβ in a linear range from 1.0 pM to 100 nM with a limit of detection of 0.05 pM (S/N = 3) for electrochemical detection, providing a reliable strategy for quantifying the Aβ protein in clinical applications. Ministry of Education (MOE) This work was financially supported by the Science and Technology Projects of University of Jinan (XKY2002), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2020MB057), the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE AcRF Tier 1 RG176/16), the Taishan Scholars Program, the Case-by-Case Project for Top Outstanding Talents of Jinan, and the project of "20 Items of University" of Jinan (2018GXRC001).