Transferring the biorenewable nitrogen present in chitin to several N-Functional groups

The nitrogen (N) heteroatom is widespread throughout society enhancing chemicals. The source of this heteroatom is typically the base chemical ammonia (NH₃) produced by the energy intensive Haber process. Thus, at present the production of N-compounds can be classified as Haber-reliant. A more sustainable strategy for N-compound production would involve sourcing the heteroatom from a biorenewable source, in processes that can be classified as Haber-independent. Herein, we show that the biorenewable nitrogen present in the biopolymer chitin can be embedded into several Haber-independent N-functional groups of relevance to a wide variety of areas within the chemical industry. The incorporation of Haber-independent nitrogen into chemical production processes is an important factor to consider when producing bio-based chemicals that contain this heteroatom.