Ethylamine hydroxyethyl chitosan (EHC), a novel chitosan derivative which is soluble in aqueous N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and antibacterial to Escherichia coli (E. coli) was synthesized. The structure, solubility and antibacterial capability of EHC were investigated. Results demonstrated the potential application for EHC in manufacture of antibacterial EHC/cellulose Lyocell fiber. Through environment-friendly Lyocell process in aqueous NMMO, the EHC/cellulose fiber was successfully fabricated and the various properties of EHC/cellulose fiber were studied. Results showed the EHC/cellulose fiber exhibited favorable consistency, antibacterial activity, mechanical properties and water retention compared with the fiber without EHC. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.