Harnessing visible light for sustainable biodiesel production with Ni/Si/ MgO photocatalyst☆

• Published in: RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
• Main Authors: Islam, Aminul; Teo, Siow Hwa; Islam, Md. Tarekul; Mondal, Alam Hossain; Mahmud, Hasan; Ahmed, Sozib; Ibrahim, Md; Taufiq-Yap, Yun Hin; Abdulkareem-Alsultan, G.; Hossain, Mohd Lokman; Sheikh, Md. Chanmiya; Rasee, Adiba Islam; Rehan, Ariyan Islam; Waliullah, R. M.; Awual, Mrs Eti; Hasan, Md. Munjur; Hossain, Mohammed Sohrab; Kubra, Khadiza Tul; Salman, Md. Shad; Hasan, Md. Nazmul; Awual, Md. Rabiul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 2025
• Subjects: Science & Technology - Other Topics; Energy & Fuels
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001350371900001
• ISSN: 1364-0321; 1879-0690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115033

Sustainable energy sources frequently demonstrate greater reliability and resilience in comparison to conventional energy sources. Biodiesel, with its markedly reduced carbon footprint when compared to petroleum-based diesel fuel, owes this advantage to its production from renewable resources. Heterojunction photocatalysts have gained significant interest due to their immense promise in tackling environmental challenges. In this study, a highly efficient photocatalyst, Ni/Si/MgO, for biodiesel production under visible light irradiation was synthesized using a solid-phase reaction method with silica as the silicon source, along with Ni and MgO. The surface functionality of Ni/Si/MgO was crucial for achieving high efficiency of photocatalytic systems, as evident from XPS. The transesterification reaction on the Ni/Si/MgO photocatalyst proceeds by the formation of SiH and SiOH bonds over the catalyst. The photocatalytic activities of Ni/Si/MgO photocatalysts were higher than those of the Si/MgO nanoparticle when exposed to light. Achieving an optimal yield of 98 %, the biodiesel production was carried out under the following reaction conditions: A catalyst dosage of 2 % by weight was utilized, along with a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 12:1, and the entire procedure was executed within a duration of 3.5 h. Plasmonic near-fields are speculated to be responsible for the increased transesterification activity along the Ni/Si/MgO interface. In order to carry out the transesterification reaction, electron-hole pairs are generated along the Ni/Si/