Physchem

The optimization of biodiesel production through experimental design and statistical modeling carries significant industrial and economic benefits. The utilization of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and statistical modeling permits accurate manipulation of the crucial process parameters. In this work, a statistical model was effectively applied to optimize two major process parameters (namely reaction time and reaction temperature) for the production of biodiesel during the transesterification of palm oil. The transesterification of palm oil was studied using experiments designed through RSM to determine the optimal reaction conditions. Based on the statistical model generated by RSM, the optimal parameters for maximizing methyl ester yield were identified as a reaction time of 343 min and a temperature of 58.3 °C. Under these conditions, the model predicted a methyl ester yield of 83.57%. Experimental validation under the same conditions resulted in a yield of 83.80%, closely aligning with the predicted value and confirming the model’s reliability.

The unprecedented influx of pelagic Sargassum represents both a serious ecological concern and a potential opportunity regarding biopolymer production. Assessing the quality, preservation status, and processing potential of these species is crucial to transforming this environmental challenge into a sustainable benefit for industrial valorization. In the present work, we investigated the alginate yields (21.2 ± 0.57% and 18.1 ± 0.11% dw) and the structural characteristics of sodium alginates extracted from Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans encountered drifting along Moroccan coasts, respectively. The FTIR analysis indicated that the extracted alginates from both species exhibited similar spectral profile of the commercial alginate obtained from Sigma-Aldrich. The ¹H NMR spectra of the extracted alginates displayed characteristic signals for monads M and G and diads MM, GG, and MG/GM, consistent with M/G ratios above 1, with fairly abundant heteropolymeric fractions (F_GM/F_MG) accounting for more than 52% of the polymer diads. Intrinsic and molecular weight analyses revealed differences between S. natans ([η] = 1.39 dL/g; Mw = 0.65 × 10⁻⁵ g/mol) and S. fluitans ([η] = 0.80 dL/g; Mw = 0.37 × 10⁻⁵ g/mol). Both values are comparable to commercial alginate but remarkably lower in viscosity. Consequently, alginates from these species are foreseen to form elastic, flexible, and softer gels, making them suitable for applications such as drug delivery, cancer therapy, bioactive encapsulation, controlled nutrient release, and environmental remediation.

The manufacturing of detergent products such as laundry detergents or household cleaners is of increasing interest to the chemical industry. Surfactants and fatty acids are the most important ingredients in detergent formulations, as they are responsible for the cleaning power and the antimicrobial efficiency of the cleaning product. Computational tools can play a key role in the design and performance optimization of detergent products as they allow for quick and efficient screening of candidate surfactants in detergent formulations. In the present study, an automated fragmentation and parametrization protocol is utilized to investigate the adsorption of candidate fatty acid surfactants towards bacterial inner membranes. The effect of the surfactant size, concentration, and tendency for micelle formation on the degree of their adsorption on the inner membrane is examined. Analysis demonstrates that surfactant–inner membrane interaction weakens with surfactant size and aggregation tendency, as confirmed by pertinent experimental and simulation studies. The outcome of this study demonstrates that the adopted multiscale protocol allows for an accurate and cost-effective description of the systems examined at timescales much shorter than those required in laboratory experiments and atomistic simulations.