Synthesis of NiO Nanoparticles as a Catalyst in Transesterification Reaction from Used Cooking Oil for Biodiesel Production
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Keywords:
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Biodiesel, Heterogeneous Catalysts, Used Cooking Oil, NiO Nanoparticles, Transesterification
Abstract
This study aims to synthesize and characterize nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles as heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production from used cooking oil through transesterification. The synthesis was conducted using the sol-gel method with NiCl2·6H2O as a precursor and NaOH as an alkaline agent. Characterizations were then performed using Particle Size Analysis (PSA), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Specific Surface Area (SAA) analysis. The PSA results showed that the samples had an average particle size of 37.0 nm with a narrow distribution (PDI = 0.010). XRD confirmed a cubic crystal structure corresponding to JCPDS No. 47-1049, while SEM images showed revealed uniform spherical morphology. In addition, EDS analysis verified the composition of Ni and O as the main elements. The SAA of 489.26 m2/g showed high catalytic activity potential. Catalyst performance tests with methanol-to-oil molar ratios of 1:3, 1:6, and 1:9 showed the highest biodiesel yield of 97.79% at a 1:9 ratio. The produced biodiesel met the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 7182:2015) with a density of 0.86–0.89 g/mL, acid number of 0.40–0.50 mg KOH/g, iodine number of 67.73–93.13 g I2/100 g, and cetane number of 76.87–114.86. GC-MS analysis showed methyl ester chains between C15–C21, confirming compliance with APEC standards. Based on these results, NiO nanoparticles showed high efficiency as an eco-friendly heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production.
References
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Dey, S. and N. S. Mehta (2020). Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide over Various Nickel Oxide Catalysts in Different Conditions: A Review. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 1; 100008
Dhaouadi, F., F. Aouaini, B. Basha, A. Bonilla-Petriciolet, J. Georgin, and A. Ben Lamine (2024). Evaluation and Analysis of the Adsorption Mechanism of Three Emerging Pharmaceutical Pollutants on a Phosphorised Carbon- Based Adsorbent: Application of Advanced Analytical Models to Overcome the Limitation of Classical Models. Heliyon, 10(14); e34788
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Fatimah, I., R. Z. Sulistyowati, A. Wijayana, G. Purwiandono, and S. Sagadevan (2023). Z-Scheme NiO/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites Prepared Using Phyto-Mediated Nickel Nanoparticles for the Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation. Heliyon, 9(5); e16232
Hasson, S. S. and A. M. A. Alsammarraie (2022). Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel Method. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6; 48938–48947
Huda, M. S., M. Odegaard, N. Chandra Sarker, D. C.Webster, and E. Monono (2024). Enhancing Recovery Yield of Vegetable OilMethyl Ester for Bioresin Production: A Comparison Study Using Acid Neutralization. ChemEngineering, 8(1); 16
Ingalagondi, P. K., M. S. Sannaikar, K. Mruthunjaya, and N. C. Horti (2025). Optical and Antibacterial Properties of Nickel Oxide (NiO) Nanoparticles: Effect of Annealing Temperature. Results in Surfaces and Interfaces, 19; 100571
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Monika, S. Banga, and V. V. Pathak (2023). Biodiesel Production fromWaste Cooking Oil: A Comprehensive Review on the Application of Heterogeneous Catalysts. Energy Nexus, 10; 100209
Naseef, H. H. and R. H. Tulaimat (2025). Transesterification and Esterification for Biodiesel Production: A Comprehensive Review of Catalysts and Palm Oil Feedstocks. Energy Conversion and Management: X, 26; 100931
Nashim, A., S. Pany, and K. Parida (2024). Effect of Synthesis Methods on the Activity of NiO/ Co3O4 as an Electrode Material for Supercapacitor: In the Light of X-Ray Diffraction Study. RSC Advances, 14(1); 233–244
Oladipo, A., O. Ejeromedoghene, O. K. Olaseinde, V. Enwemiwe, and K. A. Samson (2025). Waste-to-Fuel: The Potentials ofWaste Hard Nutshell Oil and Biowaste Heterogeneous Catalysts for Biodiesel Production. Next Sustainability, 6; 100145
Pratiwi, N., S. E. Putri, Y. Shinta, A. I. Batara, D. E. Pratiwi, A. Rahman, N. Ahmad, and H. Heryanto (2024). Synthesis and Characterization of Renewable Heterogeneous Catalyst ZnO Supported Biogenic Silica from Pineapple Leaves Ash for Sustainable Biodiesel Conversion. Karbala International Journal of Modern Science, 10(1); 99–117
Purkan, P., A. Safa, A. Abdulloh, A. Baktir, R. Arissirajudin, H. Hermansyah, and S.W. Kim (2021). In-Situ Biodiesel Synthesis from Microalgae Nannochloropsis Oculata Using NiONanocatalyst. Rasayan Journal of Chemistry, 14(3); 2097– 2103
Roshid, M. H., M. S. Alam, K. A. Ibn Amin, F. K. Ferdousi, M. H. Rahman, and S. Islam (2025). Green Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles Using Lagerstroemia Speciosa, Bombax Ceiba, and Piper Chaba Extracts and Evaluating Their Potential Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Antibacterial Properties. Heliyon, 11(6); e42953
Sales, H. B., R. R.Menezes, G. A.Neves, J. J.N. de Souza, J. M. Ferreira, L. Chantelle, A. L. M. de Oliveira, and H. d. L. Lira (2020). Development of Sustainable Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Photocatalytic Treatment of Effluents. Sustainability, 12(18); 7393
Saputra, K., M. Masruroh, H. Susanto, and R. Apsari (2024). Tapping Into the Power of Sol-Gel Method for Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity of Titania Nanoparticles. Science and Technology Indonesia, 9(3); 546–555
Shamim, A., Z. Ahmad, S. Mahmood, U. Ali, T. Mahmood, and Z. A. Nizami (2019). Synthesis of Nickel Nanoparticles by Sol-GelMethod and Their Characterization. Open Journal of Chemistry, 2(1); 16–20
Susilowati, E., A. Hasan, and A. Syarif (2019). Free Fatty Acid Reduction in a Waste Cooking Oil as a Raw Material for Biodiesel With Activated Coal Ash Adsorbent. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1167(1); 012035
Wan Osman, W. N. A., M. H. Rosli, W. N. A. Mazli, and S. Samsuri (2024). Comparative Review of Biodiesel Production and Purification. Carbon Capture Science and Technology, 13; 100264
Wang, Y., X. Ou, Q. A. Al-Maqtari, H. J. He, and N. Othman (2024). Evaluation of Amylose Content: Structural and Functional Properties, Analytical Techniques, and Future Prospects. Food Chemistry: X, 24; 101830
Xu, G., M.He, L.He, Y. Chen, L. Duan, andW. Jiao (2025). A Study on the Relationship Between the Pore Characteristics of High-Performance Self-Compacting Concrete (HPSCC) Based on Fractal Theory and the Function of the Water– Binder Ratio (W/C). Journal of Composites Science, 9(2); 66
Authors
Hasri, Putri, S. E., Negara, S. P. J., Afni, N., & Anwar, F. (2026). Synthesis of NiO Nanoparticles as a Catalyst in Transesterification Reaction from Used Cooking Oil for Biodiesel Production. Science and Technology Indonesia, 11(1), 280–287. https://doi.org/10.26554/sti.2026.11.1.280-287
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