Cellulose has gained significant attention for its abundant sources, degradability, and biocompatibility in achieving the sustainable development goals. However, the mechanical and waterproof qualities of cellulosebased polymers are typically suboptimal, thereby constraining their potential for high-value applications. Moreover, the problematic recovery of cellulose solvents is challenging for resources and the environment. The aluminum chloride/ zinc chloride/ water (AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O) system was utilized as the cellulose dissolving solvent and the chemical crosslinking catalyst in this investigation, enabling the production of high-performance cellulose films through a one-pot approach. By opening the ring in an acidic solution with epichlorohydrin (EPI), 1, 4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE), or polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE), efficient chemical crosslinking was achieved, reducing the number of reagents and optimizing the film performance in all aspects. The film tensile stress reached 197.37 MPa and elongation at break reached 33.13 %. Furthermore, after soaking in water for 180 days, the films exhibited good water stability without any evident swelling behavior. After being buried in the soil for 20 days, such films could be totally degraded. Moreover, the films could redissolve in the AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O system without weakening mechanical properties. This safe cellulose film was a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic packaging film. Furthermore, the AlCl3/ZnCl2/H2O system exhibited high recyclability, with salt recovery reaching 83% of the initial fresh solvent after five cycles. The excellent efficiency of the crosslinking approach and the overall greenness of the process present a novel notion for further research.

The increasing global awareness of environmental issues has led to a growing interest in research on cellulosebased film. However, several limitations hinder their development and industrial application, such as hydrophilicity, inadequate mechanical properties and barrier properties, and a lack of activity. This study aimed to create a sustainable and hydrophobic high-performance all-green pineapple peel cellulose nanocomposite film for food packaging by incorporating natural carnauba wax and cellulose nanofibers (CNF) into a pineapple peel cellulose matrix. The results showed that adding carnauba wax to the cellulose matrix converted the surface wettability of the cellulose-based film from hydrophilic to hydrophobic (water contact angle over 100). Additionally, the film exhibited ultraviolet resistance and antioxidation properties. The incorporation of CNF further improved the barrier properties, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the cellulose nanocomposite film. In applied experiments, the cellulose nanocomposite film delayed post-harvest deterioration and maintained storage quality of cherry tomatoes. Importantly, the cellulose nanocomposite film could be degraded in soil within 30 days. It can be concluded that the cellulose nanocomposite film has great potential to alleviate the environmental problems and human health problems caused by non-degradable petroleum-based plastic packaging.