Liquid-Infused Paper Substrates for New Biomedical Applications

Principal Investigator: Caitlin Howell (Chemical Engineering, UMaine)

Partners: Philseok Kim (SLIPS Tech, Inc)

Abstract: Durable fouling-resistant materials are highly sought after as solutions to a wide range of problems in both medicine and industry. We propose to apply a new bio-inspired approach utilizing immobilized liquid layers. We will develop and validate rapid, low-cost, and easily adaptable methods of immobilizing these liquid layers on paper for biotechnological applications such as fluid handling, anti-bacterial surfaces, and improved paper-based diagnostics, which have direct reliance to Maine’s paper-based economy.