A team at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology has produced the "nanopaper" from a biological material found in conventional paper -- cellulose. This long sugar molecule is a principal component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on Earth.
According to Lars Berglund,"the new paper could be used to reinforce conventional paper, produce extra-strong sticky tape or help create tough synthetic replacements for biological tissues."
The new method involves breaking down wood pulp with enzymes and then fragmenting it using a mechanical beater. The shear forces produced cause the cellulose to disintegrate into its component fibres. The end result is undamaged cellulose fibres suspended in water. When the water is drained away, they found that the fibres join together into networks held by hydrogen bonds, forming flat sheets of "nanopaper."
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