Dear Colleagues,

Petroleum-based fuels are currently serving the modern world, and it has been the case over the past century. However, while they were once considered inexhaustible, these petroleum sources are diminishing at much faster rate than natural processes can replenish them due to rapid population growth and industrialization. This, combined with several interrelated impending global crises, namely, climate change, chemicals, energy, and environmental pollution, raises the need for alternative energy supplies, such as biofuels from renewable resources.  This Special Issue focuses on chemistry related to renewable fuels research. Biofuels can be broadly categorized as any fuels that are of biomass origin such as bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, bio-oils and syngas. Understanding the fundamental chemistry of biofuels and developing appropriate technologies for their implementation will provide sustainable solutions for energy crises in the future.
For biofuels to substitute conventional gasoline or petroleum sources as an alternative transportation fuel, they should (i) have superior environmental benefits, (ii) be economically competitive, (iii) have meaningful supplies to meet energy demands, and (iv) have a positive net energy balance ratio (NER). Sustainable biofuel production needs to consider: (a) utilizing low cost feedstock; (b) utilizing energy-efficient, non-conventional heating and mixing technologies (process intensification); (c) increase net energy benefits of the process; and (d) utilize renewable raw material/energy sources where possible.
Efficient synthesis of biofuels remains a challenging and important field of research. Embracing the principles of green chemistry might result in a sustainable route for their production. Green chemistry combined with process intensification provides unique opportunities for innovation via product substitution, new feedstock generation, catalysis in aqueous media, utilization of microwaves or ultrasound, waste minimization and scope for alternative or natural solvents. The potential of utilizing waste as a new resource and the development of integrated processes producing multiple high value bio-products from biomass is highly desirable to improve the economics of the renewable fuels.
Sustainable biofuel production requires interdisciplinary approaches involving chemists and physicists from both scientific and engineering backgrounds. Therefore, the topics of interest will be the fundamental (biochemistry, electrochemistry, physical chemistry, and organic and inorganic chemistry) and applied (engineering and industrial) chemistries related to the following topics (but not limited to only these):

• Biofuel feedstock- challenges and opportunities
• Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Biogas, Biohydrogen, Bioelectrochemistry
• Waste to energy, wastewater treatment for energy recovery, sludge to energy
• Green chemistry, green catalysis and green engineering of biofuel production
• Process intensification, Microwave and ultrasound applications
• Single-pot conversions, Multiple and sequential recovery of bioproducts
• Sustainable chemical processes, ionic liquids, organic catalysis
• Energy, environmental and economic footprints

Dr. Veera Gnaneswar Gude
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• renewable fuels
• biofuels
• biodiesel
• bioethanol
• sustainability
• green chemistry
• green engineering
• process intensification
• bio-electrochemistry
• microwave and ultrasound