Biodiesel production by the electrocatalytic process: a review

Biodiesel—an impressive alternative fuel with favourable physico-chemical properties having environmental benefits—is prepared from vegetable oil. However, the cost is one of the main hurdles in commercializing it. Its production by conventional transesterification processes needs high ambient temperature and a specialized catalyst. Due to the multifaceted adversities of many of the catalysts, there is active consideration for an electrocatalytic process that does not require elevated temperature. In addition, an electrocatalytic process is carried out in the presence or absence of a catalyst or co-solvent. In this review, various parameters such as electrolysis voltage, stirring rate, electrode type, water content, co-solvent type, reaction temperature, reaction duration, oil-to-methanol molar ratio and concentration of NaCl affecting the electrocatalytic transesterification process are presented.