High-Area Ti/Pt Electrodes for the Electrochemically Catalyzed Transesterification of Soybean Oil with Methanol

Abstract

Biodiesel fuel is a renewable energy source normally produced in industry by using an alkaline homogeneous catalyst to promote the transesterification of oil and methanol to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Undesirable side reactions occur when poorly refined oils are used, leading to serious problems of product separation and low FAME yield. Therefore, about 85% of the cost of biodiesel is determined by the cost of the feedstock. Here, we describe the development of high-area Pt films deposited on Ti substrates for the electrolytic synthesis of biodiesel from soybean oil containing water, without the addition of catalyst. The higher both the calcination temperature and the number of layers deposited on the Ti surface, the higher the electrochemically active area of Pt exposed to surface. Conversion into esters in electrolysis is proportional to the increase in the superficial area of the Ti=Pt electrodes. Thus, it is possible to synthesize biodiesel using electrodes containing very low amounts of Pt (<0.441 mg cm À2 ), an important parameter in the industrial production of biodiesel.