The aim of this study was to assess the biofuel production efficiency of aquatic weeds Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia sp. In order to see the thermos chemical properties of the weed biomass, the proximate, elemental (C, H, N and, O) and, biochemical (carbohydrate, starch and lipids) characteristics of biomass were determined. The lipids from plant biomass was also extracted and then analyzed for preparing the fatty acid profiling (FAME). The results revealed the content of volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash, C, H, N and, O in the ranges of 44.6-59, 18.8-26.3, 18.7-24.9, 32.03-38.02, 4.39-4.87, 2.54-5.31 and, 51.81-59.99%, respectively in dried weed biomass. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis suggested the presence of high energy molecules in weed biomass. The content of starch in weed biomass was comparable with other industrial crops being used for bioethanol production. The GC-FID analysis of lipids (FAME analysis) indicated the presence of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3 as dominant fatty acids (FAs), which found commonly in biodiesel. The bioethanol production efficiency of weed biomass was also investigated using a microreactor-based trial. Results thus showed a yield of 0.218, 0.197, 0.215 and, 0.189g ethanol in g(-1) dry biomass of L. minor, L. gibba, P. stratiotes and, Eichhornia sp., respectively. Our results conferred that the biomass of aquatic weeds can be utilized as potential feedstock for production of ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, etc. under the clean energy initiatives. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.