α-Cellulose-Based Films: Effect of Sodium Lignosulfonate (SLS) Incorporation on Physicochemical and Antibacterial Performance

Abstract A homogeneous α-cellulose film was prepared by regeneration method from ZnCl2/CaCl2/cellulose mixed system and was further combined with sodium lignosulfonate (SLS) by crosslinking through interaction hydrogen bonds and “bridge linkages”. The physicochemical and antibacterial performance of films were all investigated and results showed that modified films exhibited stronger tensile strength, higher thermal stability, lower hydrophilic effect, better UV shielding as compared with those of pure cellulose film, and especially, better antibacterial ability derived from the presence of phenolic and sulfonate groups in SLS. This study proposed a simple and sustainable method for fabricating a multifunctional and environmentally friendly composite film by using two main lignocellulose resources as raw materials.