Fabrication of transparent and ultraviolet shielding composite films based on graphene oxide and cellulose acetate

•Composite films based on graphene oxide and cellulose acetate were successfully fabricated.•Graphene oxide sheets were well dispersed throughout the cellulose acetate matrix.•Composite films retained the transparency in visible range regardless of GO content.•Composite films offered an improvement in ultraviolet-shielding capacity. Graphene oxide (GO) has been considered a promising filler material for building polymeric nanocomposites because of its excellent dispersibility and high surface area. In this work, we present the fabrication and characterization of transparent and ultraviolet (UV) shielding composite films based on GO and cellulose acetate (CA). GO sheets were found to be well-dispersed throughout the CA matrix, providing smooth and homogeneous composite films. Moreover, the GO sheets were completely embedded within the CA matrix and no presence of this nanomaterial was found at the surface. Nevertheless, CAGO composite films offered an improved high energy light-shielding capacity when compared to pristine CA films. Particularly for UVC irradiation, the CAGO film containing 0.50wt% GO displayed a UV-shielding capacity of 57%, combined with 79% optical transparency under visible light. These CAGO composite films can be potentially applied as transparent UV-protective coatings for packing biomedical, pharmaceutical, and food products.