Hierarchically Rough Surface used as Rewritable and Reprintable paper

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel hierarchical rough surface paper that is rewritable and reprintable, enabling multiple writing and printing cycles by controlling ink adhesion through surface chemistry and shear cleaning.

Contribution

It introduces a new fabrication method for a hierarchical rough surface paper that allows for reversible ink adhesion, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional paper.

Findings

Can be reused over 200 cycles without significant loss of quality

Supports various writing and printing methods

Ink adhesion can be reversibly controlled by surface chemistry

Abstract

We describe here the design and fabrication of a rewritable and reprintable paper as an alternative to conventional papers which are generally used for writing and printing purposes. This paper is prepared by casting a crosslinkable silicone on a porous template, leading to hierarchical random patterns having dimensions ranging from tens of nanometer to hundreds of micron. On the resultant rough surface, ink particles of wide ranging sizes and different surface chemical characteristics adhere via physical forces. Unlike conventional papers, in which particles get trapped inside the porous network of the cellulose fibers, here the ink particles remain accessible for cleaning via gentle shear with a rough and wet substrate. It is possible to write on this paper by different commercially available pens and to print using different printers. In almost all cases, the ink particles adhere to the paper surface strongly enough that they can not be dislodged by gentle shearing, yet adhesion can be decreased by inserting a liquid between the particles and the surface. Because of the resultant reversibility in adhesion, the paper remains usable over 200 cycles. This reusable paper is expected to be a viable alternative to the conventional papers that we use today.