Customized Cellulose Fiber Paper Enabled by an <i>In Situ</i> Growth of Ultralong Hydroxyapatite Nanowires

Abstract

Cellulose fiber (CF) paper is a low-cost, sustainable, and flexible substrate, which has gained increasing interest recently. Before practical usage, the functionalization of the pristine CF paper is indispensable to meet requirements of specific applications. Different from conventional surface modification or physical mixing methods, we report in situ growth of ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires (HAPNWs) with lengths larger than 10 μm on the CF paper. HAPNWs are radially aligned on the surface of CFs, creating a micro/nanoscale hierarchical structure. By means of the excellent ion exchange ability of HAP and the hierarchical structure, the functions of the CF paper can be easily customized. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate two kinds of functional CF paper: (1) the photoluminescent CF paper by doping Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions into the crystal lattice of HAPNWs and (2) the superhydrophobic CF paper by coating poly(dimethylsiloxane) on the HAPNW hierarchical structure, which can be applied for self-cleaning and oil/water separation. It is expected that an in situ growth of ultralong HAPNWs will provide an instructive guideline for designing a CF paper with specific functions.