8In this study, we investigate the "chemical welding" of paper with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-9 methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]OAc) using a two-step process. First, the IL is transported into 10 the structure of the paper as a water solution. Then, partial dissolution is achieved by activation 11 with heat, where the water evaporates and the surfaces of the fibres partially dissolve. The 12 activated paper is washed with water to remove IL, and dried to fuse fibre surfaces into each 13 other. The "chemically welded" paper structure has both elevated dry and wet strength. The 14 treatment conditions can be adjusted to produce both paper-like materials and films. The most 15 severe treatment conditions produce films that are fully transparent and their oxygen and grease 16 2 barrier properties are excellent. As an all-cellulose material, the "chemically welded" paper is 17 fully biodegradable and is a potential alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics. 18
INTRODUCTION 19The consumption of packaging materials has continuously been rising due to increased 20 transportation of goods and food materials around the world, which has been steadily increased 21 due to online shopping and offshoring of manufacturing plants. 1 This rise in material 22 consumption has been met mainly by fossil fuel-based plastics and lignocellulose-based 23 materials. Since packages are typically utilized only once, plastic materials, which have 24 incomplete recycling cycles, cause environmental pollution, also harming animals and other living 25 organisms, including, for example, human health issues related to the microplastics problem. 2 26Consequently, the choice of packaging materials has been guided towards biodegradable, 27 renewable materials. Thus, much of the growth in packaging material consumption has been 28 covered by lignocellulosic materials, due to the renewability, recyclability, and abundance of 29 wood fibre materials. 3 Among wood-based materials, cardboard, wrapping papers and films have 30 been the most important materials used in packaging applications. 31Wood fibres are mostly composed of cellulose, a linear polymer composed of glucose units 32 connected by glycosidic bonds. 4 In paper and board, fibres are connected by interfibrillar 33 hydrogen bonds forming layered sheets. Paper is strong when dry, but easily disintegrates in 34 water, because water effectively breaks those bonds. 5 Therefore, in many paper applications, 35 some wet strength additives are used to increase the water tolerance of paper via 36 hydrophobization or forming chemical linkages between fibres. 5
Crystalline cellulose has an 37Corresponding Author
Author Contributions 344The manuscript was written through contributions of all the authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the 345 manuscript. 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 Highlights 412• Two-step partial dissolution reaction with [EMIM]OAc was used to transform paper to 413 permanent all-cellulose material. 414• Water was used to ease the penetration of [EMIM]OAc...