Exploitation of Annona reticulata leaf extract for the synthesis of CeO 2 nanoparticles as catalyst for the production of biodiesel using seed oil thereof

Annona reticulata plant components such as leaves and seeds are successfully employed as low-cost and environmentally -safe sustainable materials for the synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles and biodiesel production. The synthesized CeO 2 NPs worked well as a catalyst to convert A. reticulata oil into biodiesel. At a methanol to oil molar ratio of 8.97:1, a catalyst (CeO 2 NPs) loading of 2.97 wt %, and reaction time of 56.4 min, the maximum 96.8 % biodiesel yield was attained. A pseudo -first -order reaction with activation energy (Ea) of 49.77 kJ/mol and a frequency factor (A) of 1.8 x 10 5 min -1 is consistent with the Annona reticulata methyl ester (ARME) production. The performance and emission characteristics of diesel engines were found to be significantly impacted by the use of CeO 2 NPs. While the BSFC of ARME20CeO 2 50 and ARME20CeO 2 100 decreased by 2.04 % and 5.10 %, respectively, the BTE of ARME20CeO 2 50 and ARME20CeO 2 100 increased by 1.8 % and 2.41 %, in contrast to ARME20 at maximum load. When CeO 2 nano -additive (100 ppm) is added to the ARME20 blend, the CO, HC, and NOx are reduced by 42 %, 35.59 %, and 5.94 %, respectively, in comparison to the ARME20 fuel. Thus, the A. reticulata plant may be seen as an eco-friendly source from its leaves extract, and the oil extracted from its seeds may be used as a feedstock for the effective production of biodiesel.