Research progress on chitosan-zinc oxide nanocomposites fabrication, characterization, biomedical and environmental applications

The fabrication of biodegradable and biocompatible chitosan (CS)-zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites (NCs) has produced novel nanomaterials with advanced properties that combine the distinctive characteristics of both CS and ZnO. CS is a biopolymer extracted from chitin (deacetylation process), which originates in the exoskeletons and the cell walls of crustaceans and fungi, respectively. ZnO has a high surface area-to-volume ratio and remarkable UV-absorbing, photocatalytic, and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, the combination of CS and ZnO nanomaterials has been shown to improve physical, mechanical, antimicrobial, anticancer, heavy metal adsorption, degradation properties, etc. CS-based ZnO nanomaterials have received huge responses in numerous arenas, such as food, agriculture, biomedical, and environmental remediation, etc. Besides, numerous research outcomes have been reported about CS-ZnO NCs for a long time in various fields. Hence, the review article summarizes the detailed synthesis, characterization techniques, biomedical and environmental applications, and other key findings of CS-based ZnO nanomaterials.