Ethanol as the acyl acceptor for biodiesel production

Biodiesel has potential as a substitute for petroleum diesel because of the increasing worldwide concern for environmental sustainability and dwindling petroleum resources. Methanol has been the commonly used alcohol for biodiesel production. Compared with methanol, ethanol can be derived from sugar- and starch-based feedstocks and lignocellulosic biomass. Therefore, using ethanol as the acyl acceptor for biodiesel (fatty acid ethyl esters, FAEEs) production is drawing increasing interest in recent years. There are extensive studies using various approaches for the preparation of FAEEs and the properties of these fuels have also been explored. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art technologies for FAEE preparation. At the end, the fuel properties of FAEEs as well as the limitations and perspectives of biodiesel production with ethanol as the acyl acceptor are highlighted.