Green Catalysts Synthesized from Biomass for Biodiesel Production
摘要
The impact of any processing technology on sustainable development requires a zero-waste approach of reusing, recycling, and recovering. Biodiesel serves as an alternative source of renewable energy to fossil fuels, and it can be produced by transesterification of feedstock with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Nanocatalysts are preferred in the transesterification reaction when compared to acid, base, and enzymatic catalysts due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, high catalytic activity, easy recoverability, simple synthesis procedure, and low toxicity. Calcium and carbon-based green catalysts that offer a large surface area, improved porosity, stability, and inertness can be derived from plant, agricultural, and animal wastes. This chapter discusses the role of various green catalysts that are derived from biomass, along with their merits and demerits for large-scale production of biodiesel, and the possible ways of improving the yield to make biodiesel viable for commercial applications.