Easy Access to Functional Patterns on Cellulose Paper by Combining Laser Printing and Material-Specific Peptide Adsorption

Phage display biopanning is used to identify peptides that show material‐selective adsorption, effectively distinguishing between the cellulose of paper and the printed toner of standard office laser printers. These genetically selected 12mer peptides can selectively coat either non‐printed cellulose or printed toner patterns. Furthermore, triazolindione ligation chemistry is exploited to introduce, for example, dyes or functional peptides selectively to the coatings. The strategy offers an easy access towards the patterned functionalization of paper‐based materials, which potentially is of relevance for low‐cost diagnostics or biomedical devices. Stick to print: Selective coating of laser‐printed patterns was achieved by material‐specific adhesion of peptides to cellulose or toner. The peptide sequences were obtained using phage display. Functionalization of the immobilized peptides was realized by selective modification of tyrosine residues present on the printed‐pattern coatings, offering new ways towards low‐cost printed devices.