Synthesis of mixed oxide catalysts composed of WO3/MoO3 to enhance biodiesel synthesis: morphology and composition effectiveness impact

WO3/MoO3 mixed oxides were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as catalysts to optimize the biodiesel yielding from sunflower oil. The biofuel obtained was characterized to determine its physicochemical properties and compared with a commercial reference to ensure biodiesel obtention & quality. It was found that the 50 wt%/50wt% metal-ratio catalyst composed of tungsten and molybdenum oxides provided the best efficacy: 95% biodiesel conversion. This effect can be attributed to the particle morphology, size, and metal ratios, as determined by SEM analysis. The use of WO3/MoO3 mixed oxides showed an interesting synergistic effect.