Exploring the prospective of weeds (Cannabis sativa L., Parthenium hysterophorus L.) for biofuel production through nanocatalytic (Co, Ni) gasification

Abstract

Background While keeping in view various aspects of energy demand, quest for the renewable energy sources is utmost. Biomass has shown great potential as green energy source with supply of approximately 14% of world total energy demand, and great source of carbon capture. It is abundant in various forms including agricultural, forestry residues, and unwanted plants (weeds). The rapid growth of weeds not only affects the yield of the crop, but also has strong consequences on the environment. These weeds can grow with minimum nutrient input requirements, have strong ability to grow at various soil and climate environments with high value of cellulose, thus can be valuable source of energy production. Results Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Cannabis sativa L. have been employed for the production of biofuels (biogas, biodiesel and biochar) through nano-catalytic gasification by employing Co and Ni as nanocatalysts. Nanocatalysts were synthesized through well-established sol–gel method. SEM study confirms the spherical morphology of the nanocatalysts with size distribution of 20–50 nm. XRD measurements reveal that fabricated nanocatalysts have pure standard crystal structure without impurity. During gasification of Cannabis sativa L., we have extracted the 53.33% of oil, 34.66% of biochar and 12% gas whereas in the case of Parthenium hysterophorus L. 44% oil, 38.36% biochar and 17.66% of gas was measured. Electrical conductivity in biochar of Cannabis sativa L. and Parthenium hysterophorus L. was observed 0.4 dSm−1 and 0.39 dSm−1, respectively. Conclusion Present study presents the conversion of unwanted plants Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Cannabis sativa L. weeds to biofuels. Nanocatalysts help to enhance the conversion of biomass to biofuel due to large surface reactivity. Our findings suggest potential utilization of unwanted plants for biofuel production, which can help to share the burden of energy demand. Biochar produced during gasification can replace chemical fertilizers for soil remediation and to enhance the crop productivity.

Can They Keep Up? Fecundity, Pollen Fitness, and Reproductive Success in Subdioecious, Sexually Labile Cannabis Sativa L

“…Originally cultivated for its fibrous main stalk, domestication of C. sativa has provided numerous agricultural products, including cannabinoid-dense female inflorescences and oilseeds that may undergo further refinement for a variety of applications (Van der Werf et al, 1994;Small, 2015;Tahir et al, 2020;Rehman et al, 2021). Sinsemilla, unpollinated female flowers, represent the most widely used illicit drug globally (Møller and Lindholst, 2014).…”

Recent Developments in Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production with Nanotechnological Intervention: An Emphasis on Ethanol

“…A summary on the application of NPs in the biofuel production process is given in Table 2 [70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89].…”

“…Nickel and Cobalt NPs inParthenium hysterophorus L. and Cannabis sativa L.Biogas yield of 17.66% (P. hysterophorus) and 12% (C. sativa)[89] …”