NTU Researchers Develop Nanoparticle for Microalgae Harvest

Microalga contains the highest fat content among biomaterials commonly used to produce biofuel, and it has replaced corn and barley as a favored source for the industry.

This prompted a National Taiwan University (NTU) research team, led by chemistry professor Wu Chia-wen, to synthesize a magnetic nanoparticle for harvesting microalgae, extracting its oil and converting the oil's fatty acids into a methyl ester, which is used in biodiesel.

Traditional algae-harvesting methods require large amounts of energy to break down cell walls, but the team's nanoparticles effectively convert algae oil to biodiesel compared with existing methods.

The team used iron oxide and silicon dioxide to form nanoparticles, which, when applied to algae solution, magnetically attract algae and convert their fat into biodiesel with an alkaline-based catalyst. The nanoparticles can also turn waste cooking oil into biodiesel.