Effects of UV irradiation on the wettability of chitosan films containing dansyl derivatives

► The addition of dansyl derivatives modifies the morphology of chitosan-based films. ► Wetting properties of chitosan films are strongly sensitive to the pulsed UV laser. ► The dansyl immobilization in chitosan backbone reduces the film photostability. ► UV irradiation enhances the surface energy of films even below the ablation threshold.