Chitosan and chitin are categorized as low cost, renewable and eco-friendly biopolymers. However, they have low mechanical properties and unfavorable pore properties in terms of low surface area and total pore volume that limit their adsorption application. Many studies have shown that such weaknesses can be avoided by preparation of composites with carbonaceous materials from these biopolymers. This article provides a systematic review on the preparation of chitosan/chitin-carbonaceous material composites. Commonly used carbonaceous materials such as activated carbon, biochar, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide and graphene to prepare composites are discussed. The application of chitosan/chitin-carbonaceous material composites for the adsorption of various water pollutants, and the regeneration and reusability of adsorbents are also included. Finally, the challenges and future prospects for the adsorbents applied for the adsorption of water pollutants are summarized.

Epichlorohydrin crosslinked chitosan/carbon-clay (CSCC) biohybrid adsorbent was prepared for the adsorption of cationic methylene blue (MB) and anionic azo acid blue 29 (AB 29). The 40:60 wt% of chitosan (CS) and carbon-clay (CC) was selected as the best biohybrid adsorbent (CS40CC60) for the adsorption of both dyes. The adsorption of MB and AB 29 on CS40CC60 was carried out in a batch process to investigate the effects of initial dye concentration (25-400 mg/L), initial pH (3-11), contact time and adsorption temperature (30, 40 and 50 °C). The kinetics results of dyes adsorption onto CS40CC60 fit well to the pseudo-second-order model. The isotherms analysis demonstrated that the Freundlich isotherm described the adsorption data, and the qmax (mg/g) were 95.31 for MB and 167.35 for AB29 at 50 °C. These findings reveal the potential and effectiveness of the newly prepared biohybrid adsorbent for the adsorption of both dyes.

• Metarhizium VOCs, 1-octen-3-ol and 3 octanone, influence behaviour of EPN. • High doses of 1-octen-3-ol and 3 octanone repel or kill EPN infective juveniles. • Metarhizium volatiles reduce EPN infectivity of insect hosts. • Metarhizium VOCs immobilise or kill insects. • Volatiles affect reproduction of EPN inside host.