UAE research focuses on production of biofuels from halophytes

In the United Arab Emirates, the United Arab Emirates University said that researchers at the United Arab Emirates University have investigated the possibility of extracting biofuel from catalytic upgrading of biooil extracted from seeds of Salicornia bigelovii.

The university noted that halophytes are plants that can thrive in extreme conditions of high salinity (ie, several times higher than that of seawater) and excessive heat (ie, conditions that are intolerable to most other plants). Salicornia bigelovii is arguably the most investigated halophyte species, according to the United Arab Emirates University.

This is primarily ascribed to the high oil content of their seeds, which typically exceeds 35%, an aspect that makes Salicornia bigelovii a potentially important feedstock in the production of bio-oil as well as vegetable oil.

Through a combined experimental modeling approach, the objective of this study was twofold: to evaluate the potential catalytic upgrading of raw Salicornia bigelovii seeds’ pyrolysates via HDO reactions over mono Ni-CeO2 catalysts and to underpin the involved surface-assisted reaction mechanism through detailed density functional theory calculations.

The outcomes from this study shall find direct applications toward sustainable and effective exploitation of halophytes in the production of biofuel, the university added.

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