Abstract
The recent resolution of the controversy surrounding asphaltene molecular weight coupled with increasing understanding of their molecular structure has enabled the understanding of asphaltene behavior. It has been shown previously that larger ring systems require more alkane substituents to maintain a balance between ring-stacking propensity vs. steric repulsion. Here, stacking and its disruption in asphaltenes and aromatic ring systems are explored using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The TEM images are consistent with the presence of aromatic ring systems of ~1 nm diameter for petroleum asphaltenes and 0.7 nm for coal asphaltenes. It is shown that molecularly disparate asphaltenes exhibit stacking invariants. Solubility data herein suggest these stacking invariants naturally follow from the solubility classification of asphaltenes.
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Sharma, A., Mullins, O.C. (2007). Insights into Molecular and Aggregate Structures of Asphaltenes Using HRTEM. In: Mullins, O.C., Sheu, E.Y., Hammami, A., Marshall, A.G. (eds) Asphaltenes, Heavy Oils, and Petroleomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-68903-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-68903-6_8
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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