Microembossing: A Convenient Process for Fabricating Microchannels on Nanocellulose Paper-Based Microfluidics

Our research introduces nanopaper as an innovative substrate, in contrast to conventional paper. Nanopaper offers optical transparency, exceptional smoothness, and chemical adaptability. Now the substrate currently lacks an efficient microchannel fabrication method, limiting its broader adoption in microfluidics.

The progression of manufacturing technologies, including laser cutting and micro-or nano-3D printing has significantly improved motor precision. Consequently, it has simplified and enhanced the precision of microfluidic fabrication. Additionally, the images of innovative substrate materials like nanocellulose paper, have further activated the performance of paper-based analytical microfluidic devices.

Currently, one of the experimental challenges we face is laser-cutting processing, which limited most wide to 200 micrometers and impacts microchannel accuracy. To overcome this, future research will explore nano-3D printing for MoS, aiming to achieve a higher precision level in nanopaper-based analytic microfluidic devices. In contrast, to establish the techniques for microchannel fabrication on nanocellulose paper, such as 3D printing, spray coating, or manual cutting and assembly, our method offers a distinct advantage.

It combines simplicity with superior accuracy, ensuring user friendliness, cost effectiveness, time efficiency, and the attunement of micrometer-level macro channels. Our findings provide a new, accurate and simple method to fabricate microchannels on nanopaper and eventually for making nanopaper-based microfluidic devices. In the big picture, with this method, the existing paper substrate nanopaper can be easily used in the field of microfluidics.