Chitin

Chitin is an organic substance composed of polysaccharides found mainly in the shells and exoskeletons of crustaceans. It is a hard and stable material with good compressive and tensile strength, but also high elasticity and toughness.

The chemical structure of chitin is mainly composed of N-acetylglucosamine (N-acetylglucosamine) and D-glucose (glucose), which are linked together by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. This structure makes chitin have a certain degree of water permeability and air permeability, and it can also resist water erosion and biological adhesion.

Chitin widely exists in the shells of crustaceans (such as crabs, shrimps, lobsters, etc.), scales of crustaceans (such as crocodiles, turtles, etc.), exoskeletons of insects, etc. in nature. People often extract chitin and use it to make medicine, food, cosmetics and other products. In addition, chitin can also be used as the basis of biomaterials for the preparation of biodegradable materials, drug delivery systems, etc.