Chitin Nanofibers Research Articles

Highly stretchable, tough and conductive chitin nanofiber composite hydrogel as a wearable sensor

To meet the requirements of eco-friendly and sustainability in the 21st century, hydrogels based on biopolymer with conductivity and stretchable property have attained increasing attention for strain sensor. However, the as-prepared of hydrogel sensor with excellent mechanical property and high strain sensitivity is still a challenge. In this study, chitin nanofiber (ChNF) reinforced composite hydrogels of PACF are fabricated via a facile one-pot method. The obtained PACF composite hydrogel exhibits good transparency (80.6 % at 800 nm)and excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength, 261.2 kPa; tensile strain as high as 550.3 %). Moreover, the composite hydrogels also demonstrate excellent anti-compression performance. The composite hydrogels own good conductivity (1.20 S/m) and strain sensitivity. Most importantly, the hydrogel can be assembled as a strain/pressure sensor for detecting large-scale and small-scale human motion. Therefore, flexible conductive hydrogel strain sensors will have broad application prospects in artificial intelligence, electronic skin, and personal health.

Chitin-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanopaper with Subwavelength Nanoporous Structures for Solar Thermal Heating.

Sustainable biomass-derived carbons have attracted research interest because of their ability to effectively absorb and convert solar light to thermal energy, a phenomenon known as solar thermal heating. Although their carbon-based molecular and nanoporous structures should be customized to achieve enhanced solar thermal heating performance, such customization has insufficiently progressed. In this study, we transformed a chitin nanofiber/water dispersion into paper, referred to as chitin nanopaper, with subwavelength nanoporous structures by spatially controlled drying, followed by temperature-controlled carbonization without any pretreatment to customize the carbon-based molecular structures. The optimal carbonization temperature for enhancing the solar absorption and solar thermal heating performance of the chitin nanopaper was determined to be 400 °C. Furthermore, we observed that the nitrogen component, which afforded nitrogen-doped carbon structures, and the high morphological stability of chitin nanofibers against carbonization, which maintained subwavelength nanoporous structures even after carbonization, contributed to the improved solar absorption of the carbonized chitin nanopaper. The carbonized chitin nanopaper exhibited a higher solar thermal heating performance than the carbonized cellulose nanopaper and commercial nanocarbon materials, thus demonstrating significant potential as an excellent solar thermal material.

All bio-based chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystals films under supramolecular tuning by chitosan/deacetylated chitin nanofibers for reversible multi-response and sensor application

Application of green and renewable all bio-based resources on functional nanomaterials has been of much interest, but often limited by their complex supramolecular construction. Herein, two kinds of most abundant biopolymers on earth, cellulose and chitin were selected as raw materials to prepare all bio-based iridescent films. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were cooperated with chitosan (CS) or deacetylated chitin nanofibers (DChN) at various content ratios to fabricate chiral nematic films via evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA). The iridescent films showed increased crystallinity (80%∼ 90%) than pristine CNCs as well as lowered crystallite sizes, due to hydrogen bonding linkages and hydrophobic interactions between CNCs and amphiphilic CS/DChN with diverse degrees of acetylation. Obviously enlarged helical pitches were achieved by intercalation of CS/DChN, which reflected optical light with red-shifted wavelength bands. CS and DChN also improved the hydrophobicity of the nanocomposite films with various degrees, but both maintaining good biocompatibility proved by cell viability assay. The films showed wide-range/fast humidity and pH stimuli response capabilities via visible colorimetric changes. Moreover, the materials were equipped with satisfying reversible response, which was confirmed by repeated water ink writing-drying and acidic/alkaline vapor evaporation tests for 10 cycles. A food freshness sensor device was assembled on quick response (QR) code for sensitive and convenient recognition by smart phone, exhibiting high potential on multi-functional sensors of the all bio-based sustainable materials.

Multifunctional edible chitin nanofibers/ferulic acid composite coating for fruit preservation

AbstractAbout one‐third of the world's entire food production is lost or wasted every year, in which the perishables such as fruits and vegetables account for the largest proportion due to their short shelf life. Therefore, it has attracted great attention to the development of food preservation. In this paper, a simple strategy for food preservation is developed. Chitin nanofiber aqueous suspension is used as the substrate, and ferulic acid (FA) acts as the physical crosslinker to obtain a multifunctional composite protective coating for fruits. The results of Zeta potential, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) indicate that there are multiple noncovalent interactions between FA and chitin nanofibers. The chitin/FA coating films show superior mechanical properties, water and oxygen resistance. They could effectively reduce the water loss rate, delay ripening, and resist oxidation and microbial invasion for the fresh strawberries and fresh‐cut apples, indicating the potential in food preservation.

Yeast biomass ornamented macro-hierarchical chitin nanofiber aerogel for enhanced adsorption of cadmium(II) ions

There is an urgent need to develop sustainable, renewable, and environment-friendly adsorbents to rectify heavy metals from water. In the current study, a green hybrid aerogel was prepared by immobilizing yeast on chitin nanofibers in the presence of a chitosan interacting substrate. A cryo-freezing technique was employed to construct a 3D honeycomb architecture comprising the hybrid aerogel with excellent reversible compressibility and abundant water transportation pathways for the accelerated diffusion of Cadmium(II) (Cd(II)) solution. This 3D hybrid aerogel structure offered copious binding sites to accelerate the Cd(II) adsorption. Moreover, the addition of yeast biomass amplified the adsorption capacity and reversible wet compression of hybrid aerogel. The monolayer chemisorption mechanism explored by Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 127.5 mg/g. The hybrid aerogel demonstrated higher compatibility for Cd(II) ions as compared to the other coexisted ions in wastewater and manifested a better regeneration potential following four consecutive sorption-desorption cycles. Complexation, electrostatic attraction, ion-exchange and pore entrapment were perhaps major mechanisms involved in the removal of Cd(II) revealed by XPS and FT-IR. This study unveiled a novel avenue for efficient green-synthesized hybrid aerogel that may be sustainably used as an excellent purifying agent for Cd(II) removal from wastewater.

Chitin nanofiber-coated biodegradable polymer microparticles via one-pot aqueous process

Tailoring the surface of biodegradable microparticles is important for various applications in the fields of cosmetics, biotechnology, and drug delivery. Chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) are one of the promising materials for surface tailoring owing to its functionality, such as biocompatibility and antibiotic properties. Here, we show biodegradable polymer microparticles densely coated with ChNFs. Cellulose acetate (CA) was used as the core material in this study, and ChNF coating was successfully carried out via a one-pot aqueous process. The average particle size of the ChNF-coated CA microparticles was approximately 6 μm, and the coating procedure had little effect on the size or shape of the original CA microparticles. The ChNF-coated CA microparticles comprised 0.2–0.4 wt% of the thin surface ChNF layers. Owing to the surface cationic ChNFs, the ζ-potential value of the ChNF-coated microparticles was +27.4 mV. The surface ChNF layer efficiently adsorbed anionic dye molecules, and repeatable adsorption/desorption behavior was exhibited owing to the coating stability of the surface ChNFs. The ChNF coating in this study was a facile aqueous process and was applicable to CA-based materials of various sizes and shapes. This versatility will open new possibilities for future biodegradable polymer materials that satisfy the increasing demand for sustainable development.

Comparison of cellulose and chitin nanofibers on Pickering emulsion stability—Investigation of size and surface wettability contribution

There is an increasing concern about developing biobased colloid particles for Pickering stabilization due to the environment-friendliness and health-safety needs. In this study, Pickering emulsions were formed by using TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical)-mediated oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCN) and chitin nanofibers prepared by TEMPO-mediated oxidation (TOChN) or partial deacetylation (DEChN). The physicochemical characterizations of Pickering emulsions demonstrated that the higher cellulose or chitin nanofiber concentrations, surface wettability, and zeta-potential, the higher effectiveness in Pickering stabilization. Specifically, even though DEChN was at a shorter size (with a length of 254 ± 72 nm) as compared to TOCN (with a length of 3050 ± 1832 nm), it showed an excellent stabilization effect on emulsions at the concentration of 0.6 wt% due to its higher affinity to soybean oil (water contact angle of 84.38 ± 0.08°) and large electrostatic repulsion between oil particles. Meanwhile, when the concentration was 0.6 wt%, long TOCN (water contact angle of 43.06 ± 0.08°) formed a three-dimensional network in the aqueous phase, which produced a superstable Pickering emulsion resulting from the limited moving of droplets. These results provided important information on the formulation of Pickering emulsions stabilized by polysaccharide nanofibers with suitable concentration, size and surface wettability.

Carbon black and chitin nanofibers for green tyres: Preparation and property evaluation

This research highlights the synergistic use of carbon black (CB) and chitin nanofibers (CHNFs) for developing green tyres for the first time. The CHNFs (12–30 nm) were prepared from chitin powder with the help of steam explosion and mild oxalic acid hydrolysis. The CHNFs were uniformly dispersed in natural rubber (NR) latex, dried, and mixed with CB in a two-roll mill to form NR/CB/CHNF composites. The NR/CB/CHNF composite at 1 phr CHNF loading exhibited tensile and tear strengths that were about 47 and 160 % greater than the NR-Neat, respectively. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the loss tangent (tan δ) at 60 °C was 50 % lower for the NR/CB/CHNF 1.0 composite than for the NR/CB50 composite. The study succeeded in developing a new green tyre tread formulation that would be helpful for attaining sustainability and a circular economy.

Screening diatom strains belonging to Cyclotella genus for chitin nanofiber production under photobioreactor conditions: Chitin productivity and characterization of physicochemical properties

Diatom species belonging to Cyclotella and Thalassiosira genera have the unique and industrially relevant ability to biosynthesize and extrude pure chitin nanofibers. The current understanding of diatom-based chitin production is narrowed by the complete reliance on the performance of a single strain. This study aims to facilitate the development of a wider understanding for enhanced industrial utility. For this purpose, six Cyclotella strains were cultivated under standardized process conditions of a bubble column photobioreactor, and the resulting productions were characterized in terms of rate and physicochemical properties. A two-stage cultivation protocol was followed where the cells were cultivated under silicon replete and then following its complete consumption under silicon deplete conditions. All the strains produced chitin fibers of β-form with relatively constant average diameters, ranging from 48 to 58 nm. Chitin production rates and final concentrations as well as fiber number densities and length distributions were highly strain-dependent. Dissolved silicon availability controlled chitin biosynthesis: following its depletion, the productivity of all the strains increased drastically. Two strains of marine origin, C. cryptica CCMP 332 and C. cryptica CCMP 333, generated the most favorable outcomes for commercial-scale production and had final concentrations of 272 ± 9 mg/L and 316 ± 12 mg/L, and maximum production rates of 48 ± 2 mg/L-day and 51 ± 2 mg/L-day, respectively. The superior performance of these strains was due to (i) the extrusion of more fibers per fiber port, in the case of C. cryptica CCMP 333 as many as 20.7 ± 1.0. indicating free fiber accumulation in suspension, and (ii) the biosynthesis of longer fibers, mean fiber lengths varied from 15 to 20 μm during cultivation. This study demonstrates the importance of species selection and silicon availability for diatom-based chitin production in terms of rate, final concentration, and nanofiber fiber length distributions.

Preparation, characterization and biological activity of phosphorylated surface deacetylated chitin nanofibers

Phosphorylation is a key route to achieve varieties of biological activities for polysaccharides. Here, we report the phosphorylated surface deacetylated chitin nanofibers (PS-ChNFs) using the sodium tripolyphosphate/sodium trimetaphosphate (STPP/STMP) method. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize in this study. Under optimal conditions, a maximum degree of substitution (DS) of 0.13 was obtained. In addition, the structures of PS-ChNFs were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectra (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy-mapping) EDS-mapping. The findings revealed that the FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS analysis confirmed the appearance of phosphate groups in PS-ChNFs. The 31P NMR results indicate that the PS-ChNFs structure has characteristic peaks of P elements. SEM images showed that PS-ChNFs had a rough surface with many cavities, but the P elements on the surface of the EDS-mapping are uniformly distributed throughout the sample without any enrichment. Antioxidant and antibacterial test showed that PS-ChNFs had significant scavenging effect on free radicals and antibacterial effect. The above results indicate that the chemical modification of PS-ChNFs was successful.

Development, characterization and application of intelligent/active packaging of chitosan/chitin nanofibers films containing eggplant anthocyanins

The aim of this study was to develop intelligent/active packaging by using chitosan/esterified chitin nanofibers (CN) film matrix and anthocyanins from eggplant peel extract (EE) to monitor the freshness of pork. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and zeta potential results showed that the CN filled into the film network and precisely bonded to the chitosan via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the incorporation of EE formed hydrogen bonds with chitosan and CN. Thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy showed that the films became more compact and that thermal stability was improved. Hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and nanofilling effects synergistically improved the mechanical and barrier properties (water vapor, oxygen and optical barrier properties) of the films with the addition of CN. When the content of CN was 5 wt%, the tensile strength, elongation at break, the water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of chitosan film were significantly increased by about 1.44, 1.52, 1.23 and 5.21 times (p < 0.05), respectively. When EE was added to the films, the antibacterial and antioxidant capacities of the film were significantly (p < 0.05) improved. All the films containing eggplant anthocyanins were sensitive to pH 3–11 buffer solutions, and the films had good ammonia-sensitivity and acid-sensitivity. Chitosan-CN-EE films effectively indicated the freshness of pork during storage. Hence, these results suggested that the chitosan-CN-EE films are promising candidates for intelligent and active food packaging applications.

Photocrosslinked Fish Collagen Peptide/Chitin Nanofiber Composite Hydrogels from Marine Resources: Preparation, Mechanical Properties, and an In Vitro Study.

Fish collagen peptide (FCP) is a water-soluble polymer with easy accessibility, bioactivity, and reactivity due to its solubility. The gelation of FCP can be carried out by chemical crosslinking, but the mechanical strength of FCP hydrogel is very low because of its intrinsically low molecular weight. Therefore, the mechanical properties of FCP gel should be improved for its wider application as a biomaterial. In this study, we investigated the mechanical properties of M-FCP gel in the context of understanding the influence of chitin nanofibers (CHNFs) on FCP hydrogels. FCP with a number average molecular weight (Mn) of ca. 5000 was reacted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and used for the preparation of photocrosslinked hydrogels. Subsequently, composite hydrogels of methacrylate-modified FCP (M-FCP) and CHNF were prepared by the photoirradiation of a solution of M-FCP containing dispersed CHNF at an intensity of ~60 mW/cm2 for 450 s in the presence of 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959) as a photoinitiator. Compression and tensile tests of the FCP hydrogels were carried out using a universal tester. The compression and tensile strength of the hydrogel increased 10-fold and 4-fold, respectively, by the addition of 0.6% CHNF (20% M-FCP), and Young's modulus increased 2.5-fold (20% M-FCP). The highest compression strength of the M-FCP/CHNF hydrogel was ~300 kPa. Cell proliferation tests using fibroblast cells revealed that the hydrogel with CHNF showed good cell compatibility. The cells showed good adhesion on the M-FCP gel with CHNF, and the growth of fibroblast cells after 7 days was higher on the M-FCP/CHNF gel than on the M-FCP gel without CHNF. In conclusion, we found that CHNF improved the mechanical properties as well as the fibroblast cell compatibility, indicating that M-FCP hydrogels reinforced with CHNF are useful as scaffolds and wound-dressing materials.

CO2-laser-induced carbonization of calcium chloride-treated chitin nanopaper for applications in solar thermal heating.

Remarkable progress has been made in the development of carbonized chitin nanofiber materials for various functional applications, including solar thermal heating, owing to their N- and O-doped carbon structures and sustainable nature. Carbonization is a fascinating process for the functionalization of chitin nanofiber materials. However, conventional carbonization techniques require harmful reagents, high-temperature treatment, and time-consuming processes. Although CO2 laser irradiation has progressed as a facile and second-scale high-speed carbonization process, CO2-laser-carbonized chitin nanofiber materials and their applications have not yet been explored. Herein, we demonstrate the CO2-laser-induced carbonization of chitin nanofiber paper (denoted as chitin nanopaper) and investigate the solar thermal heating performance of the CO2-laser-carbonized chitin nanopaper. While the original chitin nanopaper was inevitably burned out by CO2 laser irradiation, CO2-laser-induced carbonization of the chitin nanopaper was achieved by pretreatment with calcium chloride as a combustion inhibitor. The CO2-laser-carbonized chitin nanopaper exhibits excellent solar thermal heating performance; its equilibrium surface temperature under 1 sun irradiation is 77.7 °C, which is higher than those of the commercial nanocarbon films and the conventionally carbonized bionanofiber papers. This study paves the way for the high-speed fabrication of carbonized chitin nanofiber materials and their application in solar thermal heating toward the effective utilization of solar energy as heat.

Commercialization of Chitin Nanofiber from Crab Shells, and Development of the Containing Products

Commercialization of Chitin Nanofiber from Crab Shells, and Development of the Containing Products

Omniphobic, ice-repellent, anti-bacterial, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) using sprayable chitin nanofiber coating

Omniphobic, ice-repellent, anti-bacterial, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) using sprayable chitin nanofiber coating

Strain-induced 3D-oriented crystallites in natural rubber/chitin nanofiber composites.

Natural rubber (NR) composites containing bio-based chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) exhibit a wide range of mechanical properties - from rubber to plastic behavior - with increasing chitin contents. A constrained 3-dimensional network can be formed by mixing natural rubber latex and a modified zwitterionic rigid chitin counterpart. By inclusion of highly anisotropic chitin nanofibers (30 wt%), strain-induced NR crystallization occurs at a much lower strain of 50%. More intriguingly, 2D-WAXD results reveal that the strain-induced crystallization of NR/ChNFs composites show 3-dimensionally oriented crystallite formation behaving similar to "3D-single crystals orientation" when the content of ChNFs is over 5 wt%. It is suggested that not only c-axis (NR chains) orients along the stretching direction, but also the a- and b-axes deliberately arrange along the normal direction and transverse direction, respectively. Structure and morphology in 3-dimensional spaces after strain-induced crystallization of the NR/ChNFs30 composite are investigated in detail. Therefore, this study might pave a new way to enhance mechanical properties by incorporation of ChNFs, obtaining 3-dimensionally oriented crystallites of novel multifunctional NR/ChNFs composite with shape memory ability.

Preparation of Nanochitin Films with Oligochitin Graft Chains

Even nowadays, chitin is mostly unutilized as a biomass resource, although it is abundantly present in nature. To develop an efficient method to use chitin as the component in new functional bio-based materials, in this study, we investigated the preparation of a flexible nanochitin (chitin nanofiber, ChNF) film with oligochitin dihexanoate graft chains. The parent ChNF film was prepared by regeneration of a chitin ion gel with an ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (AMIMBr), using methanol and subsequent filtration. However, the obtained film showed a quite brittle nature, probably because of the high crystallinity of the chitin chains. To reduce the crystallinity, oligochitin dihexanoate, which was provided by partial depolymerization of the parent chitin dihexanoate under acidic conditions, was modified on the partially deacetylated ChNF film by reductive amination. The introduction of the oligochitin dihexanoate graft chains was supported by 1H NMR and IR measurements. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile of a film, which was obtained from an aqueous acetic acid suspension of the grafted product, indicated a reduction in chitin crystallinity, which contributes to the disappearance of nanofiber morphology and enhancement of flexibility. The removal of hexanoyl groups from the film was performed by treatment with aqueous NaOH. The IR and XRD measurements of the obtained film suggested the compete dehexanoylation and the reformation of the chitin crystalline structure, respectively. This study provides a method to fabricate new bio-based graft and soft materials entirely comprising chitin moieties.

3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) filters reinforced with polysaccharide nanofibers for metal ions capture and microplastics separation from water

The need for multifunctional, robust, reusable, and high-flux filters is a constant challenge for sustainable water treatment. In this work, fully biobased and biodegradable water purification filters were developed and processed by the means of three-dimensional (3D) printing, more specifically by fused deposition modelling (FDM).The polylactic acid (PLA) – based composites reinforced with homogenously dispersed TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNF) or chitin nanofibers (ChNF) were prepared within a four-step process; i. melt blending, ii. thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) pelletization method, iii. freeze drying and iv. single-screw extrusion to 3D printing filaments. The monolithic, biocomposite filters were 3D printed in cylindrical as well as hourglass geometries with varying, multiscale pore architectures. The filters were designed to control the contact time between filter’s active surfaces and contaminants, tailoring their permeance.All printed filters exhibited high print quality and high water throughput as well as enhanced mechanical properties, compared to pristine PLA filters. The improved toughness values of the biocomposite filters clearly indicate the reinforcing effect of the homogenously dispersed nanofibers (NFs). The homogenous dispersion is attributed to the TIPS method. The NFs effect is also reflected in the adsorption capacity of the filters towards copper ions, which was shown to be as high as 234 and 208 mg/gNF for TCNF and ChNF reinforced filters, respectively, compared to just 4 mg/g for the pure PLA filters. Moreover, the biocomposite-based filters showed higher potential for removal of microplastics from laundry effluent water when compared to pure PLA filters with maximum separation efficiency of 54 % and 35 % for TCNF/PLA and ChNF/PLA filters, respectively compared to 26 % for pure PLA filters, all that while maintaining their high permeance.The combination of environmentally friendly materials with a cost and time-effective technology such as FDM allows the development of customized water filtration systems, which can be easily adapted in the areas most affected by the inaccessibility of clean water.

A novel strategy to formulate edible active-intelligent packaging films for achieving dynamic visualization of product freshness

A new generation of active-intelligent packaging materials is gradually replacing traditional petroleum-based materials due to their anti-bacterial, visual, and eco-friendly properties. In this study, a novel multifunctional nanocomposite film is fabricated to dynamically monitor the food freshness by immobilizing natural red cabbage extracts (RCA) and nisin to a pullulan/chitosan composite matrix reinforced with chitin nanofibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and XRD spectra results shows that nisin and RCA could interact with pullulan, chitosan and chitin nanofibers through hydrogen bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation reveals the nisin and RCA are uniformly dispersed in the pullulan/chitosan/chitin nanofibers (PC) matrix to form a compatible film. The incorporation of nisin and RCA significantly improve the tensile strength and the thermal stability, and water vapor barrier properties of the resultant nanocomposite films. Additionally, the nanocomposite films show strong antioxidant and strong antibacterial properties. The antioxidant function was mainly attributed to the RCA, and the antibacterial function was attributed to nisin. Moreover, the color of the nanocomposite films changes from red to blue with the increase in pH from 2 to 12, which enables monitoring the freshness of sea bass ( Lateolabrax japonicas ) during storage. Hence, these results suggest that the PCN-RCA nanocomposites films could be employed as promising potential candidates for active-intelligent food packaging applications. • Multifunctional films were successfully developed using bioactive ingredients. • Red cabbage extracts enhanced the physical and chemical properties of the films. • The films possessed great UV-blocking, antioxidant and antibacterial activity. • The developed film could be used to dynamic visualization of the product freshness.

Impact of chitin nanofibers and nanocrystals from waste shrimp shells on mechanical properties, setting time, and late-age hydration of mortar

Every year ~ 6–8 million tonnes of shrimp, crab, and lobster shell wastes are generated, requiring costly disposal procedures. In this study, the chitin content of shrimp shell waste was oxidized to produce chitin nanocrystals (ChNC) and mechanically fibrillated to obtain chitin nanofibers (ChNF) and evaluated as additives for mortar. ChNF (0.075 wt%) and ChNC (0.05 wt%) retarded the final setting time by 50 and 30 min, likely through cement dispersion by electrostatic repulsion. ChNF (0.05 wt%) with a larger aspect ratio than ChNC resulted in the greatest improved flexural strength and fracture energy by 24% and 28%. Elastic modulus increased by up to 91% and 43% with ChNC and ChNF. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed ChNF (0.05 wt%) enhanced calcium–silicate–hydrate structure with a 41% higher degree of polymerization, 9% more silicate chain length, and a 15% higher degree of hydration at 28 days. Based on the findings, chitin seems a viable biomass source for powerful structural nanofibers and nanocrystals for cementitious systems to divert seafood waste from landfills or the sea.