Metal oxide-based heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production

Abstract

The increasing consumption of fossil fuels and petroleum products leads to high prices, depletion of natural resources, and increased global warming. Therefore, there is a critical need for an alternative, greener fuel that could replace fossil fuels. Biodiesel derived from plant-based oil or biomass is a renewable and non-toxic energy source and has emerged as an alternative to diesel. Today, biodiesel may be manufactured from a range of feedstock using a variety of catalysts and recovery processes thanks to advances in catalytic chemistry technology. Recently, metal oxide-based heterogeneous catalysts have been promising materials for the (trans)esterification reactions of oils to produce biodiesel. The review briefly describes the recent advances in heterogeneous catalysts based on metal oxides for biodiesel production. The pros and cons of various techniques and the mechanism of biodiesel synthesis by heterogeneous catalysts are discussed to understand the topic better. Lastly, the scope of future research and challenges are also presented.