Marine waste derived chitin biopolymer for N-containing supports, catalysts and chemicals

Efficacious waste valorisation is a promising strategy towards sustainability. Marine waste which was undervalued and underutilized for a long time has attracted attention recently to realize its economic value to meet the sustainable development requirements. Chitin, a naturally occurring nitrogen-rich marine biopolymer has tremendous potential for material synthesis and chemical production. The current review is focussed on highlighting the effectiveness of chitin from a catalytic perspective. Unlike chitosan, the usage of chitin for constructing catalyst has not been demonstrated thoroughly. Thus, the present study exhibits strategical chemical modification of chitin, its conversion to N-doped carbon materials as efficient catalyst for various transformation. Advancements on deriving organo-nitrogen chemicals catalytically from chitin has also been discussed. Through these two aspects the potency of chitin as a sustainable candidate for catalysis is projected. Finally, challenges and prospects are accessed to enhance the production of valuable chemicals/materials from chitin biomass via greener protocols.