In this study, we investigated the effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) content on the structure and properties of chitosan films. It is found that the binding of SDS to chitosan was realized through the interactions between -SO4 - and -NH3 +, forming an ionically cross-linked film. Structural analysis revealed that the crystallization was greatly hindered by introducing SDS. With an increase of SDS content, the glass transition temperatures (T g) of chitosan films increased due to the formation of crosslinks. Compared to pure chitosan film, the composite films had lower content of moisture and possessed better thermal stability. In addition, the mechanical properties of the as-obtained composite films were closely related to the content of SDS, and were significantly improved in the biopolymer films with moderate SDS content. These results indicate that the microstructure as well as properties of the chitosan films can be regulated by adding SDS.
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