Roll-to-Roll Surface Modification of Cellulose Paper via Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Tuning surface properties of flexible materials enhances the versatility of existing materials, giving them new functions for applications in textiles, filtration, flexible electronics, and sensors. However, traditional surface modification methods are typically solvent-based, which limits the range of substrates that can be coated. In this work, we demonstrate the ability to use roll-to-roll processing to continuously modify the surface properties of large areas of flexible substrates using initiated chemical vapor deposition, which is an all-dry process. We designed and built a roll-to-roll module that can be used to uniformly coat 1500 cm2 of chromatography paper in a single deposition. Rolls of paper were coated with a fluoropolymer and an ionizable polymer, and the coated paper was used for origami, nonstick surfaces, and paper-based microfluidic devices.