(Sub-) Microscale Structuring of Cellulose Thin Films using a Polymer Brush-Assisted Microcontact Printing (PolyBrushMiC) Routine

Abstract

We present a method for directly micropatterning cellulose thin films using microcontact printing with a polymer-brush stamp carrying reactive imidazole groups. These temporarily bind carboxylic-acid inks, enabling clean ester-forming transfer to cellulose without smearing. This allows high-resolution, chemical patterning, paving the way for the fabrication of functional papers in a simple and efficient process.