Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels using Green Nanocatalysts

¹ Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
² Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
³ Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
⁴ Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University, Rajpura, India
⁵ Chitkara Centre for Research and Development, Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, India
⁶ Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, India
⁷ G.D. Goenka University, Haryana, India

^* Corresponding author: plml@mail.ru

Abstract

This research examines the process of converting biomass into biofuels using environmentally friendly nanocatalysts. The aim is to meet the growing need for renewable energy sources and reduce the negative effects on the environment. Various biomass samples were exposed to catalytic conversion, which revealed notable disparities in the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin constituents. The efficacy of catalytic conversion was evaluated utilizing several nanocatalyst compositions, with Catalyst D exhibiting the greatest conversion efficiency of 80%. The biofuel output exhibited variation across different biomass samples, with Biomass 4 demonstrating the maximum biofuel generation at a rate of 120 g/L. The environmental impact study identified Catalyst D as having the highest level of sustainability, with the lowest energy usage of 1.8 kWh/kg, the least trash creation of 0.05 kg/kg, and the lowest CO2 emissions of 0.15 kg/kg compared to other formulations. The examination of percentage change further highlighted the substantial improvements in both catalytic performance and environmental sustainability indicators of Catalyst D. The results emphasize the capability of green nanocatalysts to enhance the efficiency and eco-friendliness of biomass conversion processes. This contributes to the progress of sustainable biofuel production technologies and the shift towards a more sustainable energy future.