The strategic integration of bio-based catalytic design principles and the intricacies of microwave irradiation offers a viable path to improving the sustainability and efficiency of biodiesel production. In this work, we produced novel biomass-derived sulfonated graphene oxide (bGO-SO3H) and reduced graphene oxide (brGO-SO3H), examining their collaborative effects with microwave irradiation on reaction efficacy. Sulfonation in catalysts was evident through 1) reduced mass loss during thermal decomposition (bGO-SO3H: 34.5 ; brGO-SO3H: 29.4 ) compared to precursors (bGO: 55.6 ; brGO: 20.3 ), indicating decreased oxygen-containing functional groups; 2) higher TPD-acidic sites (bGO-SO3H: 3.17 mmol g�1; brGO-SO3H: 3.24 mmol g�1), supported by titration-acid density (bGO-SO3H: 2.97 mmol g�1; brGO-SO3H: 3.83 mmol g�1); and 3) additional C1s peaks attributed to C-S bonds in sulfonic moieties and a significant increase in sp2 carbon content compared to their precursors, confirmed by ID/IG ratio reduction (bGO-SO3H: 1.09 to 0.98, brGO-SO3H: 0.99 to 0.95). Despite modest surface areas (18�44 m2/g), both catalysts exhibited significantly elevated acid densities (0.05�4.83 mmol g�1) post-sulfonation. Under optimized conditions (2 wt catalysts, 25:1 methanol-to-oil ratio, 25 min at 75 °C), bGO-SO3H yielded 90.97 FAME yield, while brGO-SO3H achieved 97.45 with a reduced dosage (1.5 wt), shorter time (20 min), and less methanol (20:1). Despite catalytic deactivation, our study demonstrates reduced catalyst consumption, a lower reaction temperature, and a shortened conversion time compared to prior findings, thereby enhancing the efficiency of biodiesel production. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd