Biomass-based heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production: A comprehensive review

Biodiesel is one of the most widely used alternative fuels to reduce exhaust emissions and the use of conventional fossil fuels. It can be synthesized from a transesterification reaction from vegetable oils or animal fats in the presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Some drawbacks of using homogeneous catalysts increased attention to heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production. Recently, heterogeneous catalysts derived from biomass have risen to the forefront of biodiesel production due to their sustainability, economical and eco-friendly nature. In addition, they are easily recovered and constitute an alternative to eliminate biomass residues. This review highlights several biomass sources used as precursors for the production of heterogeneous catalyst. Furthermore, methods for preparing heterogeneous catalysts, the reaction mechanisms, catalyst advantages and drawbacks, their performance in biodiesel production, as well as the methodologies developed for their effective recovery are discussed in detail. Among lignocellulosic biomass-based precursors, the paper takes into account those based on biochar, ash, carbonaceous substrate, and seed oil cake. Those catalysts obtained by both preparation methods (calcination and activation) have good catalytic activity for waste cooking oil or neat oils. Biomass ash or biochar-based catalysts are also promising routes in biodiesel synthesis, but significant reductions in catalyst load, reaction time, temperature, and methanol-to-oil ratio must be reached.

Automated summary

Biodiesel production has increasingly shifted towards using heterogeneous catalysts derived from biomass, due to their sustainability, economical and eco-friendly nature, ease of recovery, and the potential to eliminate biomass residues. The review discusses various biomass sources as precursors for heterogeneous catalysts, different methods for preparation, their advantages and drawbacks, as well as their performance in biodiesel production. The use of biomass ash or biochar-based catalysts shows promise in biodiesel synthesis, but requires improvements in catalyst load, reaction time, temperature, and methanol-to-oil ratio.