The catalytic effects of carbonate minerals on characteristics of heavy oil in hydrothermal reactions

Abstract

Hydrothermal influences on heavy oil were simulated in laboratory conditions. The experimental model was composed of oil, calcite, dolomite, and manganese oxide. Oil to dominant mineral ratio was 1:1, where the content of manganese oxide was 5%. The hydrothermal reactions were carried out under the reservoir temperatures of 250–300°С and a pressure of 1–2?MPa. As a result of treatment, aromaticity of oil increased, while H:C ratio decreased from 1.92 to 1.61. The structures of newly formed light fractions were characterized by low molecular aromatic compounds, which were the destruction products of resins. The treatment provided removal of nitrogen and sulfur from crude oil, hence, decreasing the viscosity of products. The genotype of crude oil did not change. The quantitative changes in the ratio of isoprenoid alkanes to the linear ones were evaluated via geochemical coefficients of group composition.     

PEG-conjugated highly dispersive multifunctional magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes for cellular imaging

We report synthesis of a highly versatile multicomponent nanosystem by covalently decorating the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by magnetite nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and fluorophore fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The resulting Fe(3)O(4)-PEG-FITC-CNT nanosystem demonstrates high dispersion ability in an aqueous medium, magnetic responsiveness, and fluorescent capacity. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles were well anchored onto the surfaces of the CNT. In vitro time kinetic experiments using confocal microscopy demonstrated a higher uptake of the Fe(3)O(4)-PEG-FITC-CNT nanosystem localized at the perinuclear region of MCF7 cells compared to the free FITC. In addition, the CNT nanosystem demonstrated no evidence of toxicity on cell growth. Surface conjugation of multicomponents, combined with in vitro non-toxicity, enhanced cellular uptake for FITC and site specific targeting ability makes this fluorescent Fe(3)O(4)-PEG-FITC-CNT nanosystem an ideal candidate for bioimaging, both in vitro and in vivo.