Abstract
Advancement of technology for the sustainable production of biodiesel is of significant importance in fighting against rising fuel costs due to the fast depletion of fossil fuels. In this regard, the application of highly efficient MOFs (metal–organic frameworks)-based materials as acidic, basic, or supported heterogeneous catalysts plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of biodiesel production processes. In this report, we demonstrate the synthesis and catalytic application of Zr-fumarate-MOF (also known as MOF-801) as a heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification reaction of used vegetable oil (UVO) for the production of biodiesel. The formation of MOF-801 and its structural stability is confirmed by a variety of characterization techniques including XRD, SEM, EDX, FT-IR, BET, and TGA analyses. The results revealed the formations of highly crystalline, cubic MOF-801 possessing thermal stability below 500 °C. The MOF-801 catalyst demonstrated moderate catalytic activity during transesterification of UVO (~60%) at 50 wt.% of methanol: oil, 10 wt.% catalyst loading, 180 °C reaction temperature, and 8 h of reaction time. Furthermore, the catalyst has exhibited adequate reusability with a slight reduction in the reaction yield of up to ~10% after three cycles.
Highlights
Due to the fast depletion of oil reserves, the demand for alternative energy resources has increased tremendously [1]
metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-801 is a three-dimensional, microporous Zr-based MOF consisting of fumarate linkers in which each secondary building unit (SBU) is comprised of six Zr ions
We have successfully demonstrated the preparation of MOF-801 catalyst under solvothermal conditions at an optimum temperature of 130 ◦ C
Summary
Due to the fast depletion of oil reserves, the demand for alternative energy resources has increased tremendously [1]. Among various renewable energy resources, biofuels have found decent consideration and have been applied progressively as a suitable alternative to traditional fossil fuels [2]. Biofuels generated from renewable energy resources including plants and other naturally abundant materials have been appreciated due to their nontoxic and biodegradable nature [5]. Biodiesel is generally obtained from the natural feedstock through the process of transesterification using suitable catalysts [7]. This type of fuel is less dangerous to the environment due to the low emission of greenhouse gases while burning including SO2 , SO3 , CO, etc. Biodiesel is more lubricious and easier to handle and contains lower amounts of carcinogenic substances when compared to the traditional fossil fuels [8,9]
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