Bioactive methyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose were successfully grafted onto PVC films using a two-step pathway. PVC surface was first modified with isothiocyanate in DMSO/water medium. Then, unmodified polysaccharides were directly grafted onto the thiocyanated surface in acetonitrile/DMSO mixture, in presence of DBTL as catalyst. The polysaccharide grafting onto the PVC surface was evidenced by contact angle measurements, AFM and XPS. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.