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Research progress on chitosan and its derivatives in the fields of corrosion inhibition and antimicrobial activity

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Abstract

Chitosan stands out as the only known polysaccharide of its kind, second only to cellulose. As the second-largest biopolymer globally, chitosan and its derivatives are extensively used in diverse areas such as metal anti-corrosion prevention, food production, and medical fields. Its benefits include environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and biodegradability. Notably, the use of chitosan and its derivatives has gained substantial attention and has been extensively researched in the fields of metal anti-corrosion prevention and antibacterial applications. By means of chemical modification or synergistic action, the inherent limitations of chitosan can be substantially improved, thereby enhancing its biological and physicochemical properties to meet a wider range of applications and more demanding application requirements. This article offers a comprehensive review of chitosan and its modified composite materials, focusing on the enhancement of their anticorrosion and antibacterial properties, as well as the mechanisms by which they serve as anticorrosion and antibacterial agents. Additionally, it summarizes the synthesis routes of various modification methods of chitosan and their applications in different fields, aiming to contribute to the interdisciplinary development and potential applications of chitosan in various areas.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22072070) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2021QE241).

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The authors of this manuscript have contributed to the article. Xiangyu Dou and Naixuan Fan have done the conceptualization and methodology and written the original draft. Yueyu Ma, Zihan Zhang, Bingshu Wu, Xiaoke Wei, and Shuanghao Shi have done the formal analysis. Weiwei Zhang and Yuanyuan Feng have done the review and editing.

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Correspondence to Weiwei Zhang.

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Xiangyu Dou and Naixuan Fan contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

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Dou, X., Fan, N., Yang, J. et al. Research progress on chitosan and its derivatives in the fields of corrosion inhibition and antimicrobial activity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 30353–30369 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33351-5

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