Investigation of particulate emission characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with higher alcohols/biodiesel blends

•Blending butanol or pentanol with biodiesel changed the DPM characteristics.•The blends reduced EC and DPM emissions, but increased WSOC and OC fractions.•They reduced emissions of total particle-phase PAHs and also carcinogenic potential.•They showed different effects on counts of nanoparticles and lager particles.