Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis
2026: BCREC Volume 21 Issue 3 Year 2026 (October 2026)

Efficient Deoxygenation of Palm Oil to Green Diesel Using a Metal Oxide Catalysts Supported on ZrO2-Enhanced Graphene Oxide

Attared Fadhil Hassan (Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah 61004)
Hassan Thamer Abdulsahib (Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah 61004)
Faris Abdulridha Jassim Al-Doghachi (Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah 61004)
Taufiq-Yap Yun Hin (Catalyst Science and Technology Research Center, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, Jl. Universiti 1. UPM Serdang, Serdang 43400, Selangor||Malaysia Institute of Plantation Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jl. Universiti 1. UPM Serdang)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Oct 2026

Abstract

NiO, Fe2O3, and bimetallic oxide NiFe2O4 catalysts supported on graphene oxide and promoted with ZrO2 were synthesized via wet-impregnation approach. A systematic characterization of the catalysts physicochemical properties was evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Temperature -programmed desorption CO2 (TPD-CO2), Brunaur-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, Field emission Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The catalysts were evaluated as heterogeneous catalysts in the deoxygenation (DO) of palm oil for green diesel production under varying operating conditions. Among the catalysts tested, Fe2O3/ZrO2-GO (calcined at 400 °C for 4 h, 5 wt% loading) demonstrated superior catalytic activity, achieving a maximum hydrocarbon yield (HC%) of 98.0%, bio-jet fuel (BJF) selectivity of 40%, and kerosene yield of 86%. The exceptional performance is attributed to the catalyst’s large BET surface area (18.64 m2/g), substantial pore volume (0.027 cm3/g), and moderate surface basicity (3234.65 μmol/g), which collectively facilitate efficient deoxygenation via decarboxylation (DCO2) and decarbonylation (DCO) pathways while suppressing undesired cracking. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited remarkable stability and reusability over four consecutive reaction cycles, retaining 92% hydrocarbon yield and 80.9% kerosene yield, with BJF selectivity increasing to 84%. The gradual decline in performance is attributed to carbon deposition (coke formation), pore blockage, and sintering-induced degradation of the mesoporous network, as confirmed by post-reaction XRD and BET analysis. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

bcrec

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry

Description

Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, a reputable international journal, provides a forum for publishing the novel technologies related to the catalyst, catalysis, chemical reactor, kinetics, and chemical reaction engineering. Scientific articles dealing with the following topics in ...