Speaker
Description
The growing demand for renewable energy drives interest in biodiesel as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. In this study, waste cooking oil (WCO), an abundant and low-cost feedstock, was converted into biodiesel through esterification and transesterification using a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst. The catalysts were synthesised by incorporating acidic (CuO) and basic (CaO) active components onto a UiO-66-based metal–organic framework (MOF). The three catalysts, Cu@UiO-66, Ca@UiO-66, and Cu-Ca@UiO-66, were successfully synthesised and characterised using XRD, BET surface area analysis, SEM, TEM, FTIR, NH 3 -TPD, and TGA to confirm their structural integrity and physicochemical properties. Among these catalysts, Cu–Ca@UiO-66 demonstrated superior performance, attributed to its high surface area, structural stability, and the synergistic presence of acidic and basic active sites that facilitate simultaneous reaction pathways. Additionally, high biodiesel yields were achieved, and the catalysts were readily recovered and reused up to three cycles without significant loss of activity. Overall, the work demonstrates an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach, highlighting the potential of advanced MOF-based catalyst design in converting waste into renewable energy, contributing to sustainable biofuel production.
| Apply for student award at which level: | MSc |
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| Consent on use of personal information: Abstract Submission | Yes, I ACCEPT |