Chitosan: from organic pollutants to high-value polymeric materials

"...chitosan has proved to be versatile for so many industrial applications and its versatility is the main value of this polymer. However, the lability at acidic pH of chitosan is a limiting factor that affects mainly its industrial implementation for the removal of metallic anions from water. In addition, the physical and mechanical properties may vary between two manufacturing batches due to the characteristic polydispersity of chitosan with respect to molecular weight and degree of acetylation. This variation could affect the industrial process and in some cases, when strict specifications are requested (e.g., drug delivery), increase the final cost of the product because a purification step prior to use is required. Briefly, despite of the disadvantages mentioned before, due to its great versatility, its nontoxicity, its biodegradability, and the fact that it has a renewable resource, the industrial interest in chitosan and its application has been increasing remarkably in the last years."