Imaging of petroleum asphaltenes using scanning tunneling microscopy

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie00034a015· OSTI ID:6831915

Watson, B A; Barteau, M A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to image Ratawi (neutral zone) asphaltenes deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). STM images revealed the formation of ordered arrays covering hundreds of angstroms of the surface. Samples deposited from pyridine solutions above and below the critical micelle concentration were quite similar. The individual features imaged in these arrays were attributed to the termini of the pendant aliphatic chains known to be a part of the asphaltene molecular structure. The ordered arrays imaged were extremely flat and uniform, in contrast to the assumed molecular complexity and the absence of unique structure of asphaltenes. The formation of these ordered surface arrays is further evidence of the tendency of asphaltenes to self-associate.

• OSTI ID: 6831915
• Journal Information: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States), Journal Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States) Vol. 33:10; ISSN IECRED; ISSN 0888-5885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
023000* -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
BITUMENS
DATA
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
MICROSCOPY
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
TAR