title: Photoactive chitosan: a step toward a green strategy for pollutant degradation.
abstract: This article is a highlight of the paper by Ferrari et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology. It describes the innovative use of rose bengal-conjugated chitosan as a reusable green catalyst that photo-degrades phenolic compounds in aqueous media, and thereby has decontamination potential of polluted waters. Whether a next-generation photoactive polymer that produces singlet oxygen is a solution to pollutant degradation can be argued. It is as yet unclear what polymeric sensitizer would be practical on a large scale. Nonetheless pursuing this goal is worthwhile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York.
authors.forename: Niluksha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Walalawela
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011108:Polymers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D048271:Chitosan