Nanotechnology in Biofuels Production: A Novel Approach for Processing and Production of Bioenergy

Now it’s been well understood that only fossil fuel cannot meet our today’s fuel need, and we have to have an alternative energy resource to keep our everyday activities going. Reportedly countries like USA, Brazil had tradition of using ‘green plant’: corn, sugar cane as renewable energy resource rather than non renewable source of energy like ‘black fossil fuel’, however an industrially applicable practice was required to keep environmental balance. Once researcher had understood the thermal processing of plants cellulosic biomass and lignin, followed by catalytic processing of formed biomass derived compound in liquid phase and catalytic conversion of final products, that practice had minimized health and environmental hazard in compared to when fossil fuel is burnt. Still a more cost effective source of fuel was necessary. Nanomaterials: carbon nano tubes (CNT), graphene, aluminum oxide were the answer. Once enzymes like laccase, lipase are immobilized, these could convert plant cellulose to sugar for repeated cycles of reactions, and produce a fuel without environmental hazards like green house effects.