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In this study, the effect of air plasma on the surface properties of printed and coated cardboard was investigated. The material was activated by low-pressure cold plasma for 1, 10, 20, and 30 s. Wettability changes on the surface were examined by contact angle measurements using the sessile droplet technique. The differences in the surface free energy were calculated using the Lifshitz–van derWaals/acid–base and Contact Angle Hysteresis approaches. Optical profilometry was used for the surface roughness evaluation and an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was performed to find changes in surface chemistry. Adhesive strength tests were carried out to estimate the adhesion changes after the material’s modification. It was found that the water and formamide contact angles increased after the plasma treatment while the diiodomethane contact angle did not change. As a result of the modification, the surface free energy also increased significantly and the surface roughness increased. The pull-off tests confirmed the improvement in the material’s surface properties. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the optimal effect can be obtained after just 10 s of the plasma process.

The present study delineates the preparation, characterization, and application of (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)/Caprine liver-derived extracellular matrix (CLECM) coated paper matrix for cell delivery. Here, we exploited positively charged surface of the paper matrix (as imparted by APTES derivatization) to improve the biological responses of the cells. Our results demonstrated that the functionalized paper matrixes favored the adhesion, growth, and proliferation of multiple cell types including normal, transformed, cancerous, and stem cells as compared to the pristine paper matrix. Upon implantation into the mice model, the developed paper matrix supported infiltration of the host cells and vasculature without showing any evidence of significant systemic toxicity. Moreover, the cells cultured on the paper matrix, when delivered to the CAM and mouse models, showed an enhanced vascular network around the substrate, thereby confirming its potential to deliver the cells in vivo. Together, the study confirms that the reported paper-based platform is easy to fabricate, cheap, portable and could efficiently be applied to cell delivery applications for either tissue repair or the development of humanized animal model.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using highly filled powders as electrostatically applied paper coatings. Powders prepared by two different methods were suitable for electrostatic deposition and they attached to the paper surface with a grounded backing. Pressing at elevated temperatures turned out to be a crucial process step for improving the adhesive and cohesive strengths of the powder coating layer on paper. Limited mechanical interlocking with the base paper and an uneven pressure profile were factors impairing the surface strength of the coated paper. On the other hand, factors such as higher polymer content, higher pressing temperature, pre-heating the paper prior to coating, and increasing the number of hot roll nips increased adhesion between the coating and the base paper. Powder coatings as such had uneven thickness, and they displayed a relatively broad pore size distribution.

In this study, we present a method for assembling biofunctionalized paper into a multiform structured scaffold system for reliable tissue regeneration using an origami-based approach. The surface of a paper was conformally modified with a poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) layer via initiated chemical vapor deposition followed by the immobilization of poly-l-lysine (PLL) and deposition of Ca(2+). This procedure ensures the formation of alginate hydrogel on the paper due to Ca(2+) diffusion. Furthermore, strong adhesion of the alginate hydrogel on the paper onto the paper substrate was achieved due to an electrostatic interaction between the alginate and PLL. The developed scaffold system was versatile and allowed area-selective cell seeding. Also, the hydrogel-laden paper could be folded freely into 3D tissue-like structures using a simple origami-based method. The cylindrically constructed paper scaffold system with chondrocytes was applied into a three-ring defect trachea in rabbits. The transplanted engineered tissues replaced the native trachea without stenosis after 4 wks. As for the custom-built scaffold system, the hydrogel-laden paper system will provide a robust and facile method for the formation of tissues mimicking native tissue constructs.

Specific interactions of extracellular matrix proteins with cells and their adhesion to the substrate are important for cell growth. A nanopatterned latex-coated paper substrate previously shown to be an excellent substrate for cell adhesion and 2D growth was studied for directed immobilization of proteins. The nanostructured latex surface was formed by short-wavelength IR irradiation of a two-component latex coating consisting of a hydrophilic film-forming styrene butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer and hydrophobic polystyrene particles. The hydrophobic regions of the IR-treated latex coating showed strong adhesion of bovine serum albumin (cell repelling protein), fibronectin (cell adhesive protein) and streptavidin. Opposite to the IR-treated surface, fibronectin and streptavidin had a poor affinity toward the untreated pristine latex coating. Detailed characterization of the physicochemical surface properties of the latex-coated substrates revealed that the observed differences in protein affinity were mainly due to the presence or absence of the protein repelling polar and charged surface groups. The protein adsorption was assisted by hydrophobic (dehydration) interactions.

A simple method is described for the patterned deposition of Teflon on paper to create an integrated platform for parallel organic synthesis and cell-based assays. Solvent-repelling barriers made of Teflon-impregnated paper confine organic solvents to specific zones of the patterned array and allow for 96 parallel flow-through syntheses on paper. The confinement and flow-through mixing significantly improves the peptide yield and simplifies the automation of this synthesis. The synthesis of 100 peptides ranging from 7 to 14 amino acids in length gave over 60 % purity for the majority of the peptides (>95 % yield per coupling/deprotection cycle). The resulting peptide arrays were used in cell-based screening to identify 14 potent bioactive peptides that support the adhesion or proliferation of breast cancer cells in a 3D environment. In the future, this technology could be used for the screening of more complex phenotypic responses, such as cell migration or differentiation.

Highly efficient multifunctional agarose SERS test stripes has been fabricated by a convenient facile approach. SERS stripes were found to be highly sensitive, robust, and capable to alleviate the two major drawbacks of filter paper based SERS substrate i.e. the weak adhesion of plasmonic nanoparticles and the diffusion of analyte into the paper surface. The fabricated stripes have been used successfully for the ultra-trace detection of analytes of forensic interest including a dye, pesticide and explosive.

Point-of-care (POC) detection and diagnostic platforms provide critical information about health and safety conditions in austere and resource-limited settings in which medical, military, and disaster relief operations are conducted. In this work, low-cost paper materials commonly used in POC devices are coated with liquid-infused polymer surfaces and folded to produce geometries that precisely localize complex liquid samples undergoing concentration by evaporation. Liquid-infused polymer surfaces were fabricated by infusing silicone-coated paper with a chemically compatible polydimethylsiloxane oil to create a liquid overlayer. Tests on these surfaces showed no remaining bacterial cells after exposure to a sliding droplet containing a concentrated solution of Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, while samples without a liquid layer showed adhesion of both microdroplets and individual bacterial cells. Folding of the paper substrates with liquid-infused polymer surfaces into several functional 3D geometries enabled a clean separation and simultaneous concentration of a liquid containing rhodamine dye into discrete, predefined locations. When used with bacteria, which are known for their ability to adhere to nearly any surface type, functional geometries with liquid-infused polymer surfaces concentrated the cells at levels significantly higher than geometries with dry control surfaces. These results show the potential of synergistically combining paper-based materials with liquid-infused polymer surfaces for the manipulation and handling of complex samples, which may help the future engineering of POC devices.

Adhesives have a wide range of applications in various industries including the printing industry. Water based emulsion adhesives being used in printing industry are most often based on polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) homopolymers, especially in bookbinding for short run book production and caseing in. Polyvinyl acetate emulsion adhesive formulations are affordable, regarded as being nontoxic and easy to handle. Designing durable and quality short run products requires understanding the interactions between used materials in adhesive joint and the basic components of paper and adhesive. In this study, the adhesive parameters of polyvinyl acetate adhesive on five paper samples containing different shares of inorganic fillers (0%, 18.5%, 20.5%, 21% and 30%) have been investigated. Paper samples were investigated in the terms of surface roughness, moisture, ash and CaCO3 content. The moisture content was similar as well as surface roughness of all paper sample, except roughness of paper with 0% of inorganic fillers – filter paper. Ranking based on ash content was same as one based on CaCO3 content. Besides the different paper properties, the varying amount of water (0%, 2.5% and 5%) in adhesive have been studied as well. Polyvinyl acetate adhesive was applied on all samples under the same conditions (23°C and 50% RH) and method. The analysis of the surface free energy (SFE) and its polar and dispersive components of paper and adhesive was performed by contact angle measurements. Based on those measurements, excluding a hydrophilic filter paper again, all other paper samples showed hydrophobic character and small SFE values (under 40 mJ/m2). There was no large impact on SFE of hydrophilic adhesive samples due to added amount of water. According to the obtained results, the interfacial free energy between two phases and mechanical work of the adhesion was calculated.

This paper compares the influence of the molecular weight of polylelectrolytes forming polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) on wood fibers on adhesion and paper strength. Sheets were made from fibers treated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) of molecular mass 70,000 and 240,000, respectively, and of poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)/poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) of molecular mass 30,000 and 80,000, respectively. The results were compared to what has recently been reported for PEM formation on fibers using a low-molecular-mass combination of PAH and PAA and a high-molecular-mass combination of PDADMAC/PSS. There was a less significant improvement in the case of the low-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS and the high-molecular-mass PAH/PAA. The adsorbed amounts of PAH and PDADMAC were also determined, showing a lower adsorbed amount of the low-molecular-mass PAH than of the high-molecular-mass PDADMAC. The amount of low-molecular-mass PDADMAC was similar to that found for high-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS. Individual fibers were partly treated and studied, showing a less significant decrease in wettability with low-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS than with the high-molecular-mass combination. The effect of the molecular weight on the adhesion was discussed in terms of the structure and wettability of the PEMs.

The challenges in engineering bone scaffolds reflect the complexity of bone as an organ. The organic-inorganic hybrid system design aims to provide signals within a conductive apatite layer to promote cell adhesion, proliferation and ultimately differentiation into bone tissue. Dual functioning peptides designed to specifically adhere to the apatite layer, while promoting cell adhesion via cell recognition sequences, may increase cell adhesion, leading to increased osteogenesis. The aim of this study is to identify peptide sequences with preferential adsorption towards apatite-based materials. Bone-like mineral films and hydroxyapatite disks were panned with a phage library to elucidate peptide sequences with favorable adsorption. Peptide sequences were analyzed using the web-based biotechnology tool RELIC and validated with a modified ELISA, in addition to being investigated using a newly developed method of high-throughput computational modeling. Peptides having the highest affinity and greatest potential to be incorporated into a dual functioning peptide design are APWHLSSQYSRT, VTKHLNQISQSY and STLPIPHEFSRE. These experiments provide a method of rationally designing peptides that adhere to apatite and that may improve bone tissue regeneration. This work also provides structure for investigating peptide/protein adsorption on apatite substrates with varied carbonate, or other impurity, content.

Enzymatic bonding methods, based on laccase or peroxidase enzymes, for lignocellulosic products such as medium-density fiberboard and particleboard are discussed with reference to the increasing costs of presently used petroleum-based adhesives and the health concerns associated with formaldehyde emissions from current composite products. One approach is to improve the self-bonding properties of the particles by oxidation of their surface lignin before they are fabricated into boards. Another method involves using enzymatically pre-treated lignins as adhesives for boards and laminates. The application of this technology to achieve wet strength characteristics in paper is also reviewed.

Conductive tattoo nanosheets are fabricated on top of decal transfer paper and transferred on target surfaces as temporary transfer tattoos. Circuits are patterned with ink-jet printing. Tattoo nanosheets are envisioned as unperceivable human-device interfaces because of conformal adhesion to complex surfaces including skin. They are tested as dry electrodes for surface electromyography (sEMG), which permits the control of a robotic hand.

The surface-modification of paper substrates with functional layers is gaining increasing interest, both from academic and industrial research. In this case, the cellulosic paper (CP) surface was functionalized with zwitterionic poly-(3-dimethyl(methacryloyloxyethyl) ammoniumpropane sulfonate) (CP-g-P(DMAPS) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique for enhancing blood compatibility. An obvious increase in graft yield of the functional P(DMAPS) with polymerization time was observed. The new CP-g-P(DMAPS) produced was investigated for its hemocompatibility. The hemocompatibility studied including platelet and whole blood ceels adhesion tests, hemolysis assay, morphological changes of red blood cells (RBCs), coagulation time tests, and complement activation, platelet activation at the molecular level. Most assays had remarkable differences in the presence of the new zwitterionic CP, indicated the importance of the zwitterion for hemocompatibility of CP.

Multifunctional integration is an inherent characteristic for biological materials with multiscale structures. Learning from nature is an effective approach for scientists and engineers to construct multifunctional materials. In nature, mollusks (abalone), mussels, and the lotus have evolved different and optimized solutions to survive. Here, bio-inspired multifunctional graphene composite paper was fabricated in situ through the fusion of the different biological solutions from nacre (brick-and-mortar structure), mussel adhesive protein (adhesive property and reducing character), and the lotus leaf (self-cleaning effect). Owing to the special properties (self-polymerization, reduction, and adhesion), dopamine could be simultaneously used as a reducing agent for graphene oxide and as an adhesive, similar to the mortar in nacre, to crosslink the adjacent graphene. The resultant nacre-like graphene paper exhibited stable superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and remarkable mechanical properties underwater.

High mechanical performances of macroscopic graphene oxide (GO) papers are attracting great interest owing to their merits of lightweight and multiple functionalities. However, the loading role of individual nanosheets and its effect on the mechanical properties of the macroscopic GO papers are not yet well understood. Herein, we effectively tailored the interlayer adhesions of the GO papers by introducing small molecules, that is, glutaraldehyde (GA) and water molecules, into the gallery regions. With the help of in situ Raman spectroscopy, we compared the varied load-reinforcing roles of nanosheets, and further predicted the Young's moduli of the GO papers. Systematic mechanical tests have proven that the enhancement of the tensile modulus and strength of the GA-treated GO paper arose from the improved load-bearing capability of the nanosheets. On the basis of Raman and macroscopic mechanical tests, the influences of interlayer adhesions on the fracture mechanisms of the strained GO papers were inferred.

This article concerns the investigation of blood protein adsorption on carbon paper and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Mouse fibroblast cell adhesion and growth on MWCNTs was also studied. The results showed that fibrinogen adsorption on carbon paper was much lower than that on MWCNTs, which means that platelets readily aggregate on the surface of MWCNTs. Mouse fibroblast cells implanted on MWCNTs tended to grow more prolifically than those implanted on carbon paper. The cell concentration observed on MWCNTs increased from 1.2x10(5)/mL for a single day culture to 2x10(5)/mL for a 7-day culture. No toxicity reaction was observed during the culturing period. These results indicated that MWCNTs possessed excellent tissue compatibility.

Calendering consists of running a sheet of paper at high pressure and speed (contact time less than 1 ms) between at least two heated rolls so as to improve the paper surface quality. However, this operation reduces paper thickness. Our study focused on the mechanical behaviour of paper in the nip and on the surface interactions between the paper and the rolls. Different grades of printing and writing paper were studied (coated, un-coated).Two spherical indentation tests on paper samples were developed (falling ball and quasi-static compression) and calendering trials were performed. The contact time in the falling ball test is equivalent to that in calendering. The mechanical interpretation of these tests and trials allows us to obtain stress / strain curves and the evolution of " static " elastic modulus with the permanent deformation. The mechanical variables are influenced by the paper formulation, conditioning and time of solicitation. Using the quasi-static compression test, a model permits to evaluate the nip width in static conditions.The adhesion between the paper surface and the rolls is studied with a rolling friction test and calendering trials. Calendering trials enable to link the improvement of paper surface properties (gloss, smoothness) to the thickness reduction and to specify how the roll surface roughness is transferred onto the paper.; Le calandrage consiste à faire passer, à grande vitesse, la feuille de papier entre au moins deux rouleaux, soumis à une force normale et chauffés, afin d'améliorer l'état de surface. Ce passage durant un temps inférieur à la milliseconde et sous une pression de quelques dizaines de MPa produit aussi une diminution de l'épaisseur du papier. Cette thèse étudie le comportement mécanique du papier dans un nip de calandre (zone d'emprise entre les deux rouleaux) et les interactions de surface rouleau / papier. Différents papiers destinés à l'impression - écriture sont étudiés (couché, non couché).Deux essais d'indentation sphérique de feuille de papier (chute de bille et compression quasi-statique) ont été développés et des essais de calandrage ont été réalisés. Les temps de sollicitation lors de l'essai de chute de bille sont comparables à ceux rencontrés dans un nip. L'analyse mécanique des essais permet d'établir des courbes contrainte / déformation et de suivre l'évolution du module d'élasticité " statique " avec la déformation plastique. Ces grandeurs mécaniques s'avèrent sensibles à la formulation et au conditionnement du papier, ainsi qu'au temps de sollicitation. Un modèle mécanique permet d'évaluer à partir des essais de compression quasi-statique, la largeur du nip dans des conditions statiques. L'adhésion entre la surface des papiers et les rouleaux est étudiée à partir un essai de roulement sur un plan incliné et des essais de calandrage. Les essais de calandrage ont également permis de relier l'amélioration des caractéristiques de surface à la réduction d'épaisseur du papier et de préciser comment l'état de surface du rouleau se transfère sur le papier.

A simple procedure for the detection of “indiarubber” erasures on paper is described. The method depends on the adhesion of Lycode powders to minute traces of grease on the surface of the paper. After use the powders are simply removed by wiping with tissue and the document is thus restored to its original unmarked condition.