Paper is known for its ability to absorb liquids, making it
ideal for products such as paper towels. But by modifying the underlying
network of cellulose fibers, etching off surface “fluff” and applying a thin
chemical coating, researchers have created a new type of paper that repels a
wide variety of liquids – including water and oil.
The paper takes advantage of the so-called "lotus
effect" – used by leaves of the lotus plant – to repel liquids through the
creation of surface patterns at two different size scales and the application
of a chemical coating. The material, developed at the Georgia Institute of
Technology, uses nanometer- and micron-scale structures, plus a surface
fluorocarbon, to turn old-fashioned paper into an advanced material.