α-Cellulose-based films: effect of sodium lignosulfonate (SLS) incorporation on physicochemical and antibacterial performance

Abstract A homogeneous α -cellulose film was prepared by a regeneration method from ZnCl 2 /CaCl 2 /cellulose mixed system and was further combined with sodium lignosulfonate (SLS) via crosslinking through intermolecular hydrogen bonds and “bridge linkages”. The physicochemical and antibacterial performance of prepared films were investigated and results showed that the modified film exhibited stronger tensile strength, higher thermal stability, lower hydrophilic effect, better UV shielding as compared with the original one, and especially, better antibacterial ability derived from the presence of phenolic hydroxyl and sulfonate groups in SLS. This study proposed a simple and sustainable method for fabricating a multifunctional and environmentally friendly composite film using two main lignocellulose resources as raw materials. Graphical abstract