Alonzo Durante (PhD candidate 08) and Professor Andrés R. Alcántara have written a review about the use of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) for chitin and chitosan processing. This review was published in June in the journal Catalysts, for the Special Issue entitled “Catalytic Procedures for the Synthesis of Pharmaceutical Active Compounds in Deep Eutectic Solvents”.
This publication regards mainly the use of DESs for chitin and chitosan processing, specifically for the preparation of bioactive structures based on chitin and chitosan. DESs are gaining attention not only for biopolymer processing, but also for many other uses, including preparation of bioactive compounds trough catalytic procedures, due to their several notable advantages including biodegradability, low toxicity, and easy, cost-effective, and solvent-free preparation from readily available natural sources.
Ongoing research efforts are focused on developing innovative strategies to improve the use of biopolymers while preserving their sustainability and biocompatibility for broader industrial applications. Therefore, it is important to describe the use of DESs for chitin and chitosan processing for the development of pioneering drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds, and antimicrobial agents. The PhD candidate’s work will build on the different ideas highlighted in this review and thus, this publication served as a good starting point for the work to come.
Please find below the link to read this exciting review.
“Strategies to Prepare Chitin and Chitosan-Based Bioactive Structures Aided by Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Review” Catalysts 2024,14(6), 371