Simple preparation of environmentally friendly and durable superhydrophobic antibacterial paper

As non-biodegradable single-use plastic packaging products have been restricted in recent years, paper-based materials have attracted considerable attention owing to their environmental benefits. However, the hydrophilic nature of paper-based materials limits their application as replacements for non-biodegradable plastics. In this study, an environmentally friendly and multifunctional superhydrophobic paper was developed using silane-modified superhydrophobic nanofibrillated cellulose (M-NFC) via a simple spraying method. This paper can reduce the white pollution caused by non-degradable single-use plastic packaging products. Upon spraying the base paper with 1.5 g/m2 of M-NFC, the coated paper (CP) exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 160°), water repellency (Cobb value of 7.5 g/m2), strong durability to sandpaper abrasion, finger-wipe, bending, folding, and sustained exposure to corrosion media (HCl with a pH of 1, NaOH with a pH of 10, high temperature treatment at 180 °C, and ultraviolet irradiation). Additionally, the CP surface directly prevented the adhesion of S. aureus and E. coli and also indirectly repelled solid contaminants upon washing with water, thereby demonstrating highly efficient antibacterial and anti-fouling properties. The durable and multifunctional superhydrophobic paper developed in this study provides a novel direction for solving white pollution and also presents a new research pathway for the potential applications of paper-based materials.