Thioctic acid driven chemical cross-linking of cellulose chains for fabricating high-performance cellulose films as food packaging

The widespread use of plastic packaging has improved convenience in daily life but has also led to serious environmental pollution. Therefore, an eco-friendly biodegradable material is needed to replace plastic packaging. In this study, the cellulose packaging materials were first time prepared by Thioctic acid (TA) driven chemical cross-linking with cellulose chains. Cellulose films with optimized concentrations of TA exhibited higher mechanical strength (126 MPa), hydrophobicity (99.7°), and barrier properties. The cross-linking of TA resulted in an orderly arrangement of cellulose molecules. Meanwhile, the cellulose film could effectively slow down evaporation of water from fruit (tomatoes) and extended food's shelf life for packaging applications, which is equivalent to commercial preservative film (polyethylene). This study presents a novel and scalable strategy for fabricating cellulose-based packaging materials with improved functional properties, offering a promising alternative to conventional plastic packaging.