Repurposing Citrus paradisi L. waste seed oil in the renewable production of biodiesel using phytosynthesized lead oxide nanoparticles
Rozina Rozina, Okezie Emmanuel, Mushtaq Ahmad, Amir Waseem, Ahamefula A. Ahuchaogu
Abstract
Global interest in developing a state-of-the-art circular economy has been spurred by the generation of bioenergy and bioproducts from streams of biowaste. Biodiesel, synthesized from used, non-edible oils has emerged as a sustainable and ecofriendly alternative fuel for diesel engines. This study investigates the feasibility of employing an innovative circular economy to convert waste Citrus paradisi L. seed oil into sustainable biodiesel using green lead oxide nanoparticles (PbONPs). Synthesized biodiesel is recognized for its ecofriendly nature, being non-toxic, biodegradable, cost effective and comparable to traditional petroleum-based diesel. PbONPs were prepared using aqueous leaf extract of Nasturtium officinale L. Analytical characterization of PbONPs revealed an average particle size of 42 nm. PbONPs were found to be recyclable with maximum catalytic activity up to four consecutive cycles of transesterification. An optimal yield of 93 % was obtained under specific reaction conditions: methanol to oil molar ratio 7:1, time of 105 min, temperature of 92.5 ˚C, and catalyst load of 0.32 wt%. The predominant fatty acid methyl ester identified in the biodiesel was 5, 8-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester. The biodiesel produced from C. paradisi met the criteria for internation standards with an impressively low sulfur content of 0.0001 %, underscoring its clean and benign nature.