Abstract: Methods for making metal particle-chitin composite materials are described. The methods can comprise contacting an ionic liquid with chitin, thereby forming a mixture; contacting the mixture with a non-solvent, thereby forming a chitin substrate in the non-solvent; collecting the chitin substrate from the non-solvent; deacetylating the collected chitin substrate, thereby forming a deacetylated chitin substrate; contacting the deacetylated chitin substrate with a metal salt, thereby forming an impregnated precursor composite material; and contacting the impregnated precursor composite material with a reducing agent, thereby reducing the metal salt to form a plurality of metal particles dispersed on the chitin substrate and forming the metal particle-chitin composite material.

Abstract: Methods for separating chitin from a chitinous biomass are described, the methods comprising contacting the chitinous biomass with an ionic liquid to form a mixture comprising chitin; contacting the mixture with an aqueous solution of a kosmotropic salt, thereby coagulating the chitin and forming an biphasic system comprising an ionic liquid-chitin phase and an aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; separating the ionic liquid-chitin phase from the aqueous kosmotropic salt phase; and collecting the chitin from the separated ionic liquid-chitin phase, thereby forming a recycled ionic liquid.