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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Sabeeha Khadaroo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
The increasing demand for sustainable fuels has driven extensive research into biodiesel production, which typically relies on the use of active catalysts to facilitate the transesterification of oils. While homogeneous catalysts are commonly employed, they pose challenges in terms of recyclability and environmental impact, leading to growing interest in heterogeneous catalysts. Among these, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained attention due to their high surface area and tuneable properties. This study investigates the performance of a copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC) MOF as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production. CuBTC was synthesised via solvothermal method and thoroughly characterised using scanning electron microscopy to examine the morphology, powder X-ray diffraction to determine the crystalline structure, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to identify the functional groups. The synthesised CuBTC has an octahedral morphology and successfully catalysed biodiesel production with unsaturated fatty acids within the C16 to C18 range, achieving a yield of 78.6% using 1 wt.% CuBTC and a 10:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio. The iodine value of the produced biodiesel was 59.3 g I/g, and the higher heating value was 39.2 MJ/kg. Recycled CuBTC maintained its efficacy, yielding 76.6% and 63.4% fatty acid methyl esters in the first and second recycling runs, respectively, with 16.6% and 15.3% of C16 to C18 fatty acids. The produced biodiesel met quality standards outlined in EN 14214, highlighting CuBTC's potential for sustainable biodiesel production.
Author(s): Lau JIC, Khadaroo SNBA, Chew JJ, Khaerudini DS, Saptoro A, Sunarso J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Energy Science & Engineering
Year: 2025
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: 1146-1155
Print publication date: 01/03/2025
Online publication date: 14/01/2025
Acceptance date: 16/12/2024
Date deposited: 05/03/2025
ISSN (electronic): 2050-0505
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.2062
DOI: 10.1002/ese3.2062
Data Access Statement: The data sets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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