RUTGERS

As a material, cellulose/paper has attracted significant attention for its fibrous, renewable, and bendable properties. Paper is a renewable resource with the most common forms coming from trees. Consisting primarily of polymeric cellulose, paper is a multi-scale material with millimeter-scale structures built on interlocking micro and nano fibers. This fibrous network permits wicking/handling of liquids for electro-chemo-mechanical sensors and devices. Paper also has tunable stress-strain relationships, which can be soft with similar mechanical impedance to biological tissue or hard with a theoretical elastic modulus for cellulose nanocrystals greater than steel and similar to Kevlar. Cellulosic fibers are also compatible with metallization, conductive coatings, nanotubes, and graphene for patterned electrical properties.

Primary location: Arlington United States