Recent Advances in Chitosan and Its Applications
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1610
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biodegradable polymers; polymer nanocomposites; nanoparticles functionalization; functional materials; encapsulation; active packaging
Interests: biomaterials; nanocomposites; chitosan; SPIONs; magnetic materials
Interests: chitosan; PVA; green synthesis; nanoparticles; wastewater treatment; adsorption
Interests: biopolymers; nanocomposites; polymer characterization; polymer synthesis; smart polymers; sustainability
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing demand for sustainable solutions has driven increasing interest in renewable and biodegradable materials. Among these, chitosan has emerged as a particularly promising candidate due to its superior and versatile properties compared to other biopolymers. Chitosan is obtained from chitin, the second most abundant natural polymer after cellulose, which is primarily found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans, insect cuticles, and the cell walls of fungi and yeast.
In addition to its intrinsic properties, such as renewability, antimicrobial activity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and high adsorption capacity, chitosan has attracted particular attention as a versatile material due to its relatively low cost and the presence of characteristic functional groups in its structure. The amino and hydroxyl functional groups provide active sites that enhance solubility, enable chemical modifications, and improve adsorption capacity and catalyst immobilization, among others. Chitosan can be processed into diverse material forms, such as hydrogels, fibers, nanostructures, films, and coating, and has been extensively investigated across numerous fields, including pharmaceuticals, medicine, veterinary medicine, food technology, chemistry, energy, textiles, photocatalysis, and agriculture.
The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the most recent advances in chitosan-based materials and to explore their current and potential applications in the fields mentioned above and beyond.
Prof. Dr. Larissa Nardini Carli
Prof. Dr. Cristiano da Silva Teixeira
Prof. Dr. Marcelo Giovanela
Prof. Dr. Tales da Silva Daitx
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- chitosan
- hydrogels
- films
- coatings
- fibers
- nanostructures
- biomaterials
- scaffolds
- formulations
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