An interfacial polymerization reaction was used to coat a functional paper with a polyamide film containing volatile essential oil (VEO) composites. The components of the VEO extract were linalool, alpha-terpineol, carveol, carvone, perillaldehyde and valencene. Preparing the polyamide film by an interfacial polymerization reaction eliminated the need for microcapsule preparation and coating with a binder, which are typically used in functional paper preparation. The interfacial polymerization involved immersing a filter paper impregnated with an oil-in-water emulsion of ethylenediamine and VEO in a cyclohexane solution of terephthaloyl chloride. This successfully fixed the polyamide film containing the VEO on the paper surface. Release of VEO fragrance from the paper surface was studied, and the paper showed sustained release of the VEO. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012