Recent Progress in the Utilization of Chitin/Chitosan for Chemicals and Materials

Hydrodynamic cavitation: A feasible approach to intensify the emulsion cross-linking process for chitosan nanoparticle synthesis

“…Chitosan (CS) is a linear amino polysaccharide typically used in the form of microcapsules, microspheres, or nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery systems due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity [1] , [2] . The emulsion cross-linking (ECLK) approach is one of the most popular ways to synthesize chitosan microspheres; ECLK typically includes a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsification process and a cross-linking reaction process [3] , [4] . In this conventional approach, emulsification and cross-linking processes are completed by mechanical stirring, and the particle size of CS spheres prepared is typically at micrometer level [5] , [6] .…”

Mechanochemical Amorphization of α-Chitin and Conversion into Oligomers of N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine

“…Within this new way of thinking, one that balances profitability and environmental burden, food supply chain waste is seen as renewable on a human time scale and suitable for decentralized production of fuels and chemicals . Focusing on the challenges originating from inedible parts of seafood, our groups have highlighted processes for a range of products including lipids, pigments, minerals, and biopolymers (proteins and chitin). , Chitin makes up 20–30 wt % of the shells of crustaceans which account for at least 50% of the fish harvested. , Global production of decapods (shrimps, crabs, and lobsters) is over 13 million tonnes . Hence, tonnes of chitin are produced annually in the world and currently discarded.…”

Toward the Shell Biorefinery: Processing Crustacean Shell Waste Using Hot Water and Carbonic Acid

“…Chitin, an abundant amino-polysaccharide in nature, is the most valuable component in the shell which can be used not only as functional materials , but also as feedstock for biobased chemicals . Chitin and its derived polymers bear a variety of distinguished properties and have found a wide range of applications . As a renewable resource for chemical production, chitin affords a unique opportunity to produce nitrogen-containing chemicals avoiding the Haber process, thanks to the biologically fixed nitrogen in the structure. ,− …”

“…8 Chitin and its derived polymers bear a variety of distinguished properties and have found a wide range of applications. 9 As a renewable resource for chemical production, chitin affords a unique opportunity to produce nitrogencontaining chemicals avoiding the Haber process, thanks to the biologically fixed nitrogen in the structure. 8,10−16 Largely due to the problematic extraction protocol, only a small portion of available shells is currently processed into chitin in industry.…”