The most common way to produce biodiesel is by transesterification, which refers to a catalyzed chemical reaction involving vegetable oil and an alcohol to yield fatty acid alkyl esters (i.e., biodiesel) and glycerol (Fig.
1). Triacylglycerols (triglycerides), as the main component of vegetable oil, consist of three long chain fatty
acids esterified to a glycerol backbone. When triacylglycerols react with an alcohol (e.g., methanol), the three fatty acid chains are released from the glycerol skeleton and combine with the alcohol to yield fatty acid alkyl esters (e.g., fatty acid methyl esters or FAME)