Lewis Acid-Base Site-Assisted In Situ Transesterification Catalysis to Produce Biodiesel

Biodiesel, a potent replacement for petroleum diesel, is derived from fatty acids in biomass through transesterification, which is renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable and is a powerful replacement for petroleum diesel. Lewis acid has been proven effective for esterification and transesterification. The Lewis base enhances the electrophilic and nucleophilic properties of the molecules that bind to it, leading to the remarkable versatility of the Lewis base catalytic reaction. Many studies have shown that Lewis acid/base catalyzed in situ transesterification is a fast and environmentally friendly method for producing biodiesel. The utilization of Lewis acid-base sites to catalyze transesterification has been shown to enhance their efficiency and utilization of acid-base active sites. This review explores biodiesel production by different catalysts using Lewis acid-base sites, the conditions for catalytic transesterification, the effects of different reaction parameters on biodiesel production, and the biodiesel production process.