Valorizing Azolla pinnata Biomass for Sustainable Bioenergy Production: A Novel Catalyst Transesterification Approach

In the context of the increasing global demand for renewable energy sources, this study investigates the potential of Azolla biomass as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The present novel approach employ In-Situ transesterification of Azolla biomass using acid catalyst following staged optimization process. Gas chromatography-based analysis revealed the fatty acid composition of Azolla biomass oil revealed a diverse range dominated by 9-octadecenoic acid and 9-hexadecenoic acid, crucial for high-quality biodiesel. Utilizing the Plackett–Burman design, key factors impacting biodiesel yield were identified, with hexane volume, sulfuric acid concentration, and methanol volume being most significant. The Central Composite Design (CCD) further optimized these variables, achieving a maximum biodiesel yield of 27.03%. The study found that an optimal methanol volume of 6 mL and sulfuric acid volume of 0.9 mL per 1 g of biomass were crucial, leading to biodiesel yields as high as 28.62%. These results highlight the efficacy of Azolla biomass in biodiesel production and underscore the importance of optimizing key process variables for enhanced yield.