| Summary: | Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in the planet after cellulose, represents a renewable carbon and nitrogen source. A thrilling opportunity for the valorization of chitin is focused on the preparation of biomass-derived <i>N</i>-doped carbonaceous materials. In this contribution, chitin-derived <i>N</i>-doped carbons were successfully prepared and functionalized with palladium metal nanoparticles. The physicochemical properties of these nanocomposites were investigated following a multi-technique strategy and their catalytic activity in reductive amination reactions was explored. In particular, a biomass-derived platform molecule, namely furfural, was upgraded to valuable bi-cyclic compounds under continuous flow conditions.
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