Strontium Oxide Nanoparticles for Biodiesel Production: Fundamental Insights and Recent Progress

Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. Despite nearly 3 decades of research in the field of biodiesel, there remains major obstacles for large-scale production. In the search for an active, selective, and reusable solid base catalyst, strontium oxide (SrO) is emerging out as a preferred choice for the transesterification reaction under various methods of activation. SrO exhibits the highest activity among processable alkaline earth metal oxides as a result of its strong basicity. SrO nanoparticles (NPs) and hybrids showed improved performance. Recent progress achieved in the development of synthetic methods of SrO NPs is reviewed. Advantages of SrO-based nanocomposites for biodiesel production are discussed. Finally, potential support materials for enhancing the catalytic performance of SrO NPs with commercial implications are elaborated.