Advances in Metal Oxide-based Nanocatalysts for Biodiesel Production: A Review

The demand for renewable fuels has risen as a result of increasing human population, urbanization, industrialization, and transport systems. Biodiesel production using metal oxide-based heterogeneous catalysts is an efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly approach. Because of their recovery, reusability, and consistency, heterogeneous catalysts may be preferable to homogeneous catalysts. Since the last few decades, the metal oxides of alkali earth and transition metals and their composite materials have been used as nanocatalysts in the production of biodiesel fuel. Utilization of inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) and their composite materials in producing biodiesel has gained increased attention because of their advanced physical and chemical characteristics. In this review, the applicability of metal oxides and their nanocomposite-based catalysts in biodiesel production, transesterification reactions with nanocatalytic systems, and the important parameters that affect these reactions are discussed.