Impact of nanoparticles on microalgae and the prospects for biofuel production: Current advancements and future outlook

Abstract

Biodiesel is nontoxic and perishable and is created by combining alcohol with edible fat, animal fat, or used cooking oil. Considering the food issues, microalgae gain the utmost attention to be used as biofuel producers. According to the study, biomass-based biofuels offer excellent potential to address energy scarcity in a sustainable manner [3]. The environmentally beneficial method of producing biodiesel has attracted the interest of scientists worldwide [4]. The effectiveness and cost-reduction of microalgal biodiesel synthesis continue to be major barriers to its optimal development because it is a sequential process [5]. The costliest of the four production processes is cultivation (>40% of the overall cost). Among the four production methods, cultivation stands out as the most expensive (>40% of the total expenses). To achieve a significant biomass concentration, it is essential to gather microalgae [6]. Consequently, substantial quantities of water need to be acquired from the production procedures, which entails financial expenditure and energy consumption. It is estimated that around 30% of the overall production cost could be attributed to the expenses related to harvesting [7]. To accomplish energy-effective