Chapter 9 - Gold nanoparticles: Synthesis and applications in biofuel production

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are synthesized with gold particles which have different and rare physical and chemical properties. This uniqueness of GNP compared with other nanometallic particles is due to their different quantum size and huge surface area. GNPs have many advantages in the form of their applications in the fields of photonics, microelectronics, biochemical sensing, imaging, and biofuel production. There is now a global effort on developing alternative sources of biofuel production as fossil fuels are increasingly becoming depleted and because of the pollution fossil fuels cause resulting in damage to the environment and triggering breathing problems and other serious human health issues. Biofuels such as bioenergy and biodiesel have been produced from nanoparticles using various methods and technologies with vegetable oils, algae, microbes, plants, and their extracts. These biofuels are renewable and ecofriendly energy sources that have gained attention as alternative energy sources. This chapter cover aspects of nanotechnology, various approaches to produce GNP, and various aspects of bioenergy and biofuel, in regard to the benefits provided by nanotechnology to bioenergy and biofuel production.