Scientists from St Petersburg University analyse the interaction of alcohols with sunflower oil to improve biodiesel fuel

The results of the research supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation are published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The article is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University.

Biodiesel is a liquid biofuel containing various natural oil esters and animal fats produced through chemical reactions. Biodiesel is considered environmentally friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic, and is the only fuel that can be used in all types of vehicles with diesel engines. 

The fuel is made from a mixture of three different alcohols — mainly n-propanol, n-butanol and n-pentanol — and natural oils such as sunflower oil. The researchers from St Petersburg University studied mixtures of these alcohols with sunflower oil, as this combination can be considered the most efficient biofuel model. The research was conducted at a temperature of 30°C, which is the closest to natural engine conditions.

The research was carried out by a team of chemists from St Petersburg University: Alexandra Golikova, Anna Shasherina, Yuri Anufrikov,Georgii Misikov, Petr Kuzmenko, Alexander Smirnov, Maria Toikka, and Alexander Toikka.

"Despite the structural differences of the alcohols, it turned out that the amount of heat generated or absorbed by mixing them with sunflower oil is relatively the same. To ensure the accuracy of our measurements, we checked the chemical stability of these mixtures, which gave valuable information about the physicochemical properties of alcohol-oil systems in terms of thermodynamics and thermochemistry," said Maria Toikka, a co-author of the article, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics of St Petersburg University. 

The scientists mixed n-propanol, n-butanol and n-pentanol with sunflower oil and determined the excess enthalpies — the amount of heat released or absorbed — of these mixtures. Such indicators make it possible to assess the nature of intermolecular interactions in mixtures, especially biofuel mixtures, and thus the characteristics of their behaviour under real conditions.

St Petersburg University heads the list of research organisations in Russia in the number of publications in Scopus-indexed journals on subjects related to the green transition. St Petersburg University is the leader in the number of grants from the Russian Science Foundation. In 2022, St Petersburg University researchers received 112 grants, which is 5.5% of the total number of winning projects and the largest number of grants for one organisation. At the same time, 25% of the funded projects are led by early-career researchers. In 2023, the University maintained its leadership in this contest of the Russian Science Foundation.

In future, the chemists from the University plan to continue the experiments and study the behaviour of oil-alcohol systems over a wider temperature range (from 20°C to 40°C). They also plan to further investigate the value of excess enthalpies for mixtures of ethanol-sunflower oil and hexanol-sunflower oil under various conditions. 

According to the scientists from St Petersburg University, a series of such studies will make it possible to determine the regularities in the behaviour of alcohol mixtures, which are important for use in bioenergy as they are used as additives in fuels. 

The research was carried out within the framework of projects supported by grants from the Russian Science Foundation: Project No 22-73-00159 "Heat effects of phase and chemical processes in multicomponent systems with chemical interaction" and Project No 20-73-10007 "Deep eutectic solvents in the processes of production and purification of biodiesel". The team of scientists used the infrastructure of the St Petersburg University Research Park: the Thermogravimetric and Calorimetric Research Centre; the Magnetic Resonance Research Centre; and the Chemical Analysis and Materials Research Centre.

St Petersburg University, the oldest university in Russia, was founded on 28 January (8 February) 1724. This is the day when Peter the Great issued a decree establishing the University and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Today, St Petersburg University is an internationally recognised centre for education, research and culture. In 2024, St Petersburg University celebrates its 300th anniversary. 

The plan of events during the celebration of the anniversary of the University was approved at the meeting of the Organising Committee for the celebration of St Petersburg University’s 300th anniversary. The meeting was chaired by Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Among the events are: the naming of a minor planet in honour of St Petersburg University; the issuance of bank cards with a special design; and the branding of the aircraft of the Rossiya Airlines to name just a few. To mark the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University, a postage stamp depicting the Twelve Collegia building and the monument to Count Sergey Uvarov was issued. 

By the decision of the Governor of St Petersburg Alexander Beglov, 2024 is a year of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University in St Petersburg. On the day of the University’s 300th anniversary torches will be lit on the Rostral Columns on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. St Petersburg University flags will be raised on the Palace Bridge. The city public transport will be decorated with the University’s symbols. New tourist maps will feature the locations of the University buildings, with thematic and historical materials about the University placed nearby. During St Petersburg’s City Day celebrations in May 2024, St Petersburg University will be a participating venue. The traditional ‘Scarlet Sails Festival’ will also be dedicated to the anniversaries of St Petersburg University and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Additionally, the University has launched a website dedicated to the upcoming holiday. The website contains information about outstanding University staff, students, and alumni; scientific achievements; and details of preparations for the anniversary.