Biochar carbon nanodots for catalytic acetalization of biodiesel by-product crude glycerol to solketal: process optimization by RSM and life cycle cost analysis

Carbon-based nanodots have garnered recent interest for their simple synthesis and versatile utility, ranging from biomedical to (opto) electronic applications, evolving into a tunable and biocompatible material. Here, for the first time, a biochar (lotus leaf) derived carbon nanodots was synthesized through hydrothermal carbonization. The synthesized hollow spherical biochar was engineered via functionalization by grafting -SO