A novel molecularly engineered deep eutectic surfactant from a Gemini ionic liquid and methylurea for EOR...

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Materials Science
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Surfactant-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is crucial for improving oil production efficiency.
• Developing novel surfactants with superior performance is essential for optimizing EOR processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and investigate a novel surface-active deep eutectic surfactant (DESU) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties and interfacial behavior of the synthesized DESU.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of DESU from a Gemini surface active ionic liquid (GSAIL) and methylurea.
• Characterization using SEM, DLS, and FT-IR spectroscopy.
• Interfacial tension (IFT) measurements, emulsion index determination, contact angle measurements, and DFT calculations.

Main Results:

• The synthesized DESU exhibited nanoscale size and confirmed structure and stability.
• DESU significantly reduced oil-water interfacial tension (IFT) from 27.53 to 0.10 mN m⁻¹ at 328.2 K.
• DESU promoted stable water-in-oil emulsions (65% emulsion index) and altered quartz wettability from oil-wet to water-wet (contact angle from 137° to 41°).

Conclusions:

• The designed DESU demonstrates remarkable interfacial properties, outperforming its precursors.
• The DFT calculations elucidated the strong interactions responsible for the DESU's performance.
• The synthesized DESU offers significant advantages for enhancing the efficiency of EOR processes.