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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Preparation of Binary and Ternary Deep Eutectic Systems
Published on: October 31, 2019
Two-Step Separation of Chitin from Shrimp Shells Using Citric Acid and Deep Eutectic Solvents with the Assistance of
Dandan Zhao1, Wen-Can Huang2, Na Guo3
1College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China. Lizzy_Dan@163.com.
Abstract:
In this research, a two-step extraction approach was developed for chitin preparation from shrimp shells by utilizing citric acids and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which effectively removed minerals and proteins. In the first step, minerals of shrimp shells were removed by citric acid, and the demineralization efficiency reached more than 98%. In the second step, the removal of protein was carried out using deep eutectic solvents with the assistance of microwave, and the deproteinization efficiency was more than 88%. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the quality of DES-prepared chitin was comparable to that of traditional acid/alkali-prepared chitin. These results were realized without utilizing hazardous chemicals, which are detrimental to the environment. This research indicates that a DES-based preparation approach has the potential for application in the recovery of biopolymers from natural resources.
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