(Sub-)microscale structuring of cellulose thin films using a polymer brush-assisted microcontact printing (PolyBrushMiC) routine

Abstract

We present a method for directly (sub-)micropatterning cellulose thin films using microcontact printing with a polymer-brush stamp that carries reactive imidazole groups. These groups temporarily bind carboxylic-acid inks, enabling clean ester-forming transfer to cellulose without smearing, allowing high-resolution micro- or nanometre-scale chemical patterning for functional paper fabrication in a simple and efficient fabrication process.