Impact of the functionalization of Janus MnO2 nanomaterials on the kinetic of the catalytic asphaltene oxidation.

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Abstract
Due to the increasing energy demand and the depletion of light crude oil, the exploitation of heavy crude oil fields is being considered as an alternative. In-situ combustion (ISC) is an enhanced oil recovery thermal technique that involves injecting air or oxygen into the well to promote partial oxidation of the oil. However, the initial ignition of combustion has posed significant challenges. Therefore, special attention must be given to Low Temperature Oxidation (LTO). Furthermore, asphaltenes contribute to coke formation as a fuel. Janus nanomaterials catalysts can be utilized to lower the ignition temperature. In this study, we focused on investigating the catalytic oxidation of asphaltenes primarily in the LTO region. To achieve the research objective, the catalytic oxidation of asphaltenes was studied using janus-functionalized MnO2 nanoparticles that were previously synthesized and characterized using both adipic and hexanoic acid. It was observed that surface functionalization reduces the exothermic nature of the process, and the apparent activation energies for the functionalized materials are lower than those for the virgin asphaltenes and the obtained MnO2, thus demonstrating their catalytic activity. Additionally, the stability of the formed nanofluids is maintained for up to 24 hours.

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