Synthesis of biodiesel from Carthamus tinctorius L. oil using TiO2 nanoparticles as a catalyst

The present study aimed to synthesize Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and assess its catalytic role in the synthesis of biodiesel from Carthamus tinctorius L. (a non-edible plant source). The precipitation approach was used to synthesize TiO2 nanoparticles, and the process was verified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The synthesized biodiesel was analyzed qualitatively through NMR, GC-MS, and FT-IR spectroscopy. XRD result showed that the crystal structure of TiO2 nanoparticles was a biphasic mixture of rutile and anatase phases. SEM analysis revealed that the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles had size from 42 nm to 58 nm and a surface area of 21–27 m2/g. The oil content in the feedstock was 43.9 % with free fatty acids contents of…