Hematite Nanoparticle Mediated Enhancement of Chlorella minutissima Lipid Productivity for Sustainable Biodiesel Production

Richa Pahariya; Abhishek Chauhan; Anuj Ranjan; Rupesh Kumar Basniwal; Sumant Upadhyay; Smile Kataria; Hardeep Singh Tuli; Moyad Shahwan; Vinay Mohan Pathak; Tanu Jindal

doi:10.18006/2024.12(3).366.378

Authors

Richa Pahariya Amity Institute of Environmental Sciences, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1439-6638
Abhishek Chauhan Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6475-1266
Anuj Ranjan Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2592-9716
Rupesh Kumar Basniwal Amity Institute of Advanced Research and Studies (M&D), Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1540-8864
Sumant Upadhyay Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University, NoidaU.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8557-8896
Smile Kataria Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University, NoidaU.P., India https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8243-5363
Hardeep Singh Tuli Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 12 133207, Haryana, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1155-0094
Moyad Shahwan Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8367-4841
Vinay Mohan Pathak Pritam International Private Ltd, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0013-5012
Tanu Jindal Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7932-0503

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18006/2024.12(3).366.378

Keywords:

Hematite nanoparticles, Microalgal growth, Lipid productivity, Biodiesel production, Iron oxide nanoparticles, Biofuel Enhancement

Abstract

This study aims to enhance lipid and biofuel productivity from Chlorella minutissima with hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles (IONPs) as a growth stimulant. The IONPs were synthesized using chemical method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis to confirm their structure and composition. The experimental setup involved inoculating various concentrations of IONPs (10, 20, and 30 mg·L⁻¹) into the microalgal BG-11 growth medium to evaluate their impact on microalgal growth and biodiesel production. Results of this study showed that a concentration of 10 mg·L⁻¹ of IONPs significantly increased the biomass concentration to 508.1 mg·L⁻¹ over a 20-day cultivation period, achieving the highest biomass production rate of 31.7 mg·L⁻¹·d⁻¹ at this concentration. The lipid extracted from the microalgal biomass was subsequently transesterified into biodiesel. Key biodiesel properties, such as cetane number, calorific value, density, and viscosity, were measured to assess fuel quality. The findings demonstrate that incorporating hematite nanoparticles into the microalgal growth medium can significantly boost both lipid content and overall growth, thereby improving biodiesel production. This study suggests that the use of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles presents a promising approach for scalable and sustainable biofuel production from microalgae.

Author Biography

Moyad Shahwan, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates

Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates

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