Optimization and Kinetic Studies on Biodiesel Conversion from Chlorella vulgaris Microalgae Using Pyrrolidinium-Based Ionic Liquids as a Catalyst

This study describes the potential conversion of dried microalgae. Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) using direct transesterification (DT) method and ionic liquids (ILs) as a catalyst. In this work, performance monocationic IL, namely 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (IL 1), dicationic 1,4-bis(1-methylpyrrolidinium-1-yl) butane dibromide 2), catalysts was compared for DT C. under microwave irradiation. The results revealed that IL 2 showed better in catalyzing reaction by producing 87.9 mg/g% FAME, while use 1 led to 74.3 FAME optimum conditions. kinetic followed first order where activation energies were calculated be 22.2499 kJ mol?1 22.0413 2, respectively.