Facile Fabrication of Transparent Paper with Tunable Wettability for Use in Biodegradable Substrate

Transparent paper with excellent optical transmittance and mechanical stability shows potential for use in diverse applications as a substrate. Here, we reported a novel alkyd resin-impregnated cellulose transparent (ARICT) paper that exhibited good flexibility, adequate biodegradability, easy scale-up, and tailorable wettability. As the concentration of alkyd resin increased (5-15 wt %), the optical transmission of the cellulose paper increased from 70.7% to 93.5% at 550 nm, and its water contact angle increased from 9 to 91. Furthermore, impregnating the cellulose paper with alkyd resin increased the surface smoothness, thermal stability, and toughness of the paper. After poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was coated on one side of the ARICT paper, a flexible single-sided conductive paper with high conductivity was obtained, while the other side retained high insulativity, suggesting that the ARICT paper was a promising substrate for the fabrication of a flexible electrode. Finally, the eco-friendly biodegradability was verified by subjecting the ARICT paper to fungal degradation over time. This study developed new method for the fabrication of flexible and biodegradable substrates, enabling the development of disposable electronics.