Filtration (mathematics)

Engineering

Polymer chemistry

Statistics

Materials science

Cellulose

Bacterial cellulose

Biochemistry

Chemical engineering

Organic chemistry

Membrane

Mathematics

Chemistry

Chemical modification

Polymer science

ACS Nano

Multifunctional cellulose membranes were developed from A4-sized printing paper via chemical modification. A4 paper is a widely used and easily accessible product with high cellulose content. Inspired by cellulose chemistry, we report a simple modification of the A4 paper, converting it from a common office supply to a user-modifiable functionalized cellulose membrane for practical applications. The hydroxyl groups of cellulose enable a facile tuning of its internal structure and polarity via chemical modification. In addition, the functionalized cellulose membrane has more stable mechanical strength compared to commercial cellulose-based filtration membranes. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the separation of a water/oil mixture using the functionalized A4 membrane; we have extended this idea to origami-assisted membrane applications. Finally, this versatile A4 paper chemistry may offer a promising strategy for the development of functional membranes.

A4 Paper Chemistry: Synthesis of a Versatile and Chemically Modifiable Cellulose Membrane