Current Advances and Potentials of Nanotechnology for Biofuel Production

Biofuels have been identified as a potential substitute for fossil fuels as the latter are depleting rapidly. Fossil fuels not only pose a serious threat to human health and the ecosystem due to the emission of greenhouse gases during combustion but also are limited in supply. However, the commercial synthesis of biofuels is time-consuming and expensive due to technological limitations. To address this issue, nanoparticles (NPs) offer a promising solution to enhance feedstock utilization in terms of energy efficiency, specificity, and time management at a lower cost. Several of these techniques have been recently applied, and numerous NPs, including metal, magnetic, and metal oxide particles, are currently being employed to enhance biofuel synthesis. NPs are functional additives for biofuels because of their exceptional characteristics including structure, stability, a larger surface area relative to volume, catalytic activity, and reusability. Nanomaterials have emerged as affordable and stable catalysts for immobilizing enzymes that improve biofuel synthesis. This chapter provides a summary of the application of emerging nanomaterials in biofuel synthesis, the contribution of nanotechnology to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the challenges and prospects of nanotechnology.