A new insight for the catalytic synthesis of phytol from Gmelina arborea leaves
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15282/jceib.v12i1.12621Keywords:
Biomass, Catalyst loading, Gmelina arborea , Phytol, Reaction temperatureAbstract
The conversion of waste biomass into valuable products like biofuels and biochemicals is a rapidly growing research area. Among these biochemicals, phytol serves as an essential precursor for the fuel, pharmaceutical, and food sectors. The foliage of the deciduous tree Gmelina arborea offers an abundant yet underexploited biomass source. This work aims to explore the catalytic production of phytol from Gmelina arborea leaves, using barium chloride (BaCl2) as a catalyst. The catalyst concentrations were varied at 0.5% and 1.0% across reaction temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 °C. Phytol output showed a positive curvilinear (quadratic) response to temperature, reaching its maximum at 80 °C. The highest phytol yields of 24.17% (1,985.06 mg/g) and 15.30% (1,304.6 mg/g) were obtained at catalyst loadings of 0.5% and 1.0%, respectively. These results emphasise the promise of Gmelina arborea leaves as a sustainable and valuable feedstock for phytol production, aligning with global efforts to utilise waste materials into beneficial resources.
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