Recent development patterns, utilization and prospective of biofuel production: Emerging nanotechnological intervention for environmental sustainability – A review

Abstract

The word biofuel is here referred to as liquid or gas fuel mainly derived from biomass for the transport sector. There are many reasons why biofuels are viewed by both developed and industrialized countries as important technologies. These include reasons related to energy supply, climate, foreign exchange savings, and rural socio-economic issues. The term modern biomass is generally used to describe the traditional use of biomass through effective and clean fuel technologies and a long-term provision of biomass resources as well as environmental and competitive fuel, heating, and power using state-of-the-art conversion technologies. For electricity and heat generation, modern biomass can be used. The most recent biomass-backed transportation fuel is bioethanol and biodiesel as well as diesel generated by synthesis from biomass Fischer–Tropsch. The petroleum additive/substitute is bioethanol. Wood, paint, and even household waste can be processed into bio-ethanol economically. The organic ethanol comes from alcoholic fermentation by hydrolysis process of the saccharides or simple sugars provided by biomass. Starch, sugar or oil-generating crops are currently the basis for the production of transport fuel. The use of vegetable oils for the production of biodiesel has been renewed because of less pollutant and sustainable nature than traditional petroleum diesel. The role of catalysts in biofuel production is highly praised as the rate of conversion and reusability are the major concerns of production economics. Biodiesel is a petroleum-based diesel renewable alternative. Bio-oil production is enabled by biomass energy conversion facilities. In the biomass thermal conversion processes, pyrolysis is the most critical method. A brief overview of the basic concepts involved in biomass fuel thermochemical conversion is reviewed with a major focus on the use of nanotechnologies for biofuel production. High potential heterogeneous nanocatalysts (zinc oxide, silver oxide, doped nanoparticles, alloy nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, magnesium dioxide, iron oxide, and others), as well as their synthesis and characterization have been considered with much emphasis on green production strategies. The share of biomass in the renewable energy sector is around 62%. The key benefit of using biomass energy is reducing greenhouse gas emissions.