Abstract

Chitosan, a well-known natural polymer, represents an outstanding alternative for developing heterogeneous hybrid catalysts because it possesses attractive structural and functional advantages that lead to the spontaneous complexation of different metal ions, which gives the possibility of in situ reduction of these for the generation and stabilization of nanoparticles. Besides, this characteristic allows for affordable and low-cost preparation in different presentation formats such as one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D). Furthermore, the combination of chitosan with catalytic nanoparticles in these various formats can lead to a synergistic effect that improves the sorption capacity, catalytic activity, stability, and recyclability of this type of nanocomposites, allowing them to be potentially applied as green catalysts. This review aims to provide a compilation of various studies detailing the main role of chitosan in the catalytic performance of hybrid nano-composites obtained by the in situ formation of catalytic nanoparticles in various formats. These include fibers, films, coatings, hydrogels, flakes, spheres, and powders in a wide variety of catalytic reactions such as CO2 hydrogenation, reduction of nitroderivatives and organic dyes, and Suzuki couplings.