Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Enrichment of Bacterial Lipoproteins and Preparation of N-terminal Lipopeptides for Structural Determination by Mass Spectrometry
Published on: May 21, 2018
Naphthenic Acids: Formation, Role in Emulsion Stability, and Recent Advances in Mass Spectrometry-Based Analytical
Roselaine Facanali1, Nathália de A Porto1, Juliana Crucello1
1Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are compounds naturally present in most petroleum sources comprised of complex mixtures with a highly variable composition depending on their origin. Their occurrence in crude oil can cause severe corrosion problems and catalysts deactivation, decreasing oil quality and consequently impacting its productivity and economic value. NAs structures also allow them to behave as surfactants, causing the formation and stabilization of emulsions. In face of the ongoing challenge of treatment of water-in-oil (W/O) or oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions in the oil and gas industry, it is important to understand how NAs act in emulsified systems and which acids are present in the interface. Considering that, this review describes the properties of NAs, their role in the formation and stability of oil emulsions, and the modern analytical methods used for the qualitative analysis of such acids.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Mass Spectrometry: Carboxylic Acid, Ester, and Amide Fragmentation
For example,...
NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids
While α protons of carboxylic acids absorb at 2–2.5 ppm, β protons absorb further upfield.
Carboxylic acids are easily identified by dissolving them in deuterium oxide, which results in a rapid exchange of the acidic protons with deuterium. This leads to the...
Mass Spectrometry: Amine Fragmentation
In amines, the number of nitrogen atoms affects the mass of the molecular ion, which is described by the nitrogen rule of mass spectrometry. This rule states that a compound containing...
Mass Spectrometry of Amines
Amines undergo fragmentation through α cleavage, producing nitrogen-containing cations—iminium ions—and alkyl radicals. Mass spectra of aromatic and cyclic aliphatic amines exhibit...
Mass Spectrum: Interpretation
To...
Mass Spectrometry: Long-Chain Alkane Fragmentation

