Metal-coordination and surface adhesion-assisted molding enabled strong, water-resistant carboxymethyl cellulose films

Developing renewable and biodegradable materials derived from cellulose is an attractive strategy to replace petroleum-derived plastics. In this study, metal ions (Cu2+, Fe3+, and Al3+) were added as a green binder into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films to improve their mechanical properties and water resistance capacity. The tensile strengths of CMCAl3+ films were 133 MPa and 99 MPa at 43 % and 97 % humidity, respectively, which were comparable to or greater than those of the majority of commercially available plastics. Additionally, we proposed an interfacial adhesion-assisted molding strategy for forming cellulose-based films, avoiding film wrinkles and unevenness during drying and metal-coordination formation. The resultant films exhibited high transparency, excellent mechanical properties, water resistance capacity, ultraviolet light (UV) shielding, and antibacterial activity. In summary, the biodegradable, eco-friendly, excellent application performance, and adaptability of CMCMn+ (Mn+: polyvalent metal ions) films open new prospects as a viable alternative to non-biodegradable plastics. We developed a simple and scalable strategy for fabricating strong, water resistant, and multifunctional cellulose films for plastic alternative. [Display omitted] •Developing cellulose-based materials to replace petroleum-derived plastics•Metal-coordination enabled strong, wet stability cellulose films.•The strengthening mechanism was demonstrated by molecular dynamic simulations.•Posing interfacial adhesion-assisted strategy for preparation of cellulose films