Towards Shell Biorefinery: Advances in Chemical-Catalytic Conversion of Chitin Biomass to Organonitrogen Chemicals

Abstract

Chitin is the most abundant biopolymer after cellulose but it has not been fully utilized yet. Because of biologically fixed nitrogen, effective conversion of chitin or its derivatives to value-added organonitrogen compounds is a promising strategy to valorize chitin biomass, which has attracted increasing attention. Recently, a novel concept of shell biorefinery has been proposed on account of the huge potentials of chitin valorization. Until now, a number of valuable organonitrogen chemicals, including amino sugars, amino alcohols, amino acids, and heterocyclic compounds, have been produced from chitin biomass. In this Minireview, the focus is on the recent advances in the synthesis of organonitrogen chemicals employing chitin biomass as starting material via different catalytic processes. An outlook on the challenges and opportunities for more effective valorization of chitin will be given.

Keywords: biomass; biorefinery; chitin; heterogeneous catalysis; organonitrogen.