Search

The exhaustion of limited fossil fuel resources and the overwhelming emissions of toxic gases from these fuels cause extensive damage to the environment. The world is focusing at replacing fossil fuels with clean energy production. Biofuels are eco-friendly and renewable energy and hence have received the attention of researchers around the globe as an alternate source of energy. Annually, the production of biofuels increases by 5% and is estimated to reach 50 million m3 of biofuel by 2025. The downsides of the first and second generations of biofuels resulted in the creation of a third generation of biofuel from algal sources. The major advantages of using algae as feedstock include low cost and the utilization of a high level of CO2 in the atmosphere, which make algae a good choice for biofuel production. Nanomaterials support and enhance biomass growth and improve harvesting efficiency in a short time.

In our day-to-day life there are two elements that plays crucial roles and enable us to move forward developmentally: these are energy and the environment. Their demand and intensive usage at local and global levels have led to a serious energy crisis. Approximately 80% of energy consumed around the world is from fossil-based nonrenewable energy. One of the greatest problems is the limited oil reserves and the pollution occurring due to fossil fuels. To meet this rising fuel demand, renewable energy resources are needed. One of these is biofuel, which has been gaining attention as an important alternative renewable energy resource as it has key advantages like being nonpolluting and economically feasible when compared to fossil fuels. Hence biofuels are eco-friendly in nature. However, more focus is given to the intervention of new technologies in the production of biofuels for better yields. An important technology to be adopted is the application of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is being implemented in various areas including medicine, food, farming and agriculture, and electronic devices, because of the important properties of nanoparticles. This has led to increasing interest among researchers. Some studies are being conducted with biofuels to increase the efficiency of the bioprocess. In the production of bioethanol and biodiesel diverse nanoparticles are utilized. Similarly, the development of different enhanced nanomaterials will improve the production of biofuel. In this chapter, after a brief introduction to biofuel and bioenergy demand, the application of nanoparticles as a solution to biofuel production and also how well the nano-based biofuel remedy leads to sustainable development of the environment are discussed.