Chitosan is a promising environmentally-friendly polymer with a wide range of applications in biological, medical and water treatment fields. Recent research in chitosan-based electro spun nanofibers has led to the very cost-effective and efficient removal of toxic metal ions from solutions that are extremely important in today's pollution-ridden world. Nanofiber fabrication of chitosan blends can easily be done by the novel electrospinning technique. Because of their high adsorption capability, metal chelation ability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and cost effectiveness, chitosan-based nanofibers have seen rapid growth in water treatment applications. This review outlines the ability of electrospinning produced chitosan-based nanofibers to remove toxic metals. The primary goal of this review is to provide current information on various chitosan blend nanofibers that may be useful in water purification, as well as to encourage further research in this area.

Chitosan, a natural polysaccharides biopolymer is a versatile and promising biomaterial. Chitosan metal complexes stand out in their applicability in different research fields due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. Presence of primary aliphatic amino group along the polymer chain allows for a variety of chemical modifications, of which the most significant is imine functionalization. The ability to easily perform complexation between chitosan Schiff bases and metal ions results in metal complexes, enhancing its application, resulting in further innovation in various fields. The most recent advances of chitosan Schiff base complexes in various fields, including biomedical, catalysis, environmental, and adsorption are summarised in this review.