Development of thermo-reporting nanoparticles for accurate sensing of geothermal reservoir conditions

Abstract

The inaccessibility of geological reservoirs, both for oil and gas production or geothermal usage, makes detection of reservoir properties and conditions a key problem in the field of reservoir engineering, including for the development of geothermal power plants. Herein, an approach is presented for the development of messenger nanoparticles for the determination of reservoir conditions, with a proof of concept example of temperature detection under controlled laboratory conditions. Silica particles are synthesized with a two-layer architecture, an inner enclosed core and an outer porous shell, each doped with a different fluorescent dye to create a dual emission system. Temperature detection happens by a threshold temperature-triggered irreversible release of the outer dye, thus changing the fluorescence signal of the particles. The reported particle system consequently enables a direct, reliable and fast way to determine reservoir temperature. It also displays a sharp threshold for accurate sensing and allows detection at concentration ranges as low as few nanograms of nanoparticles per milliliter.

Titania-mediated stabilization of fluorescent dye encapsulation in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

“…Encapsulation of dyes. Encapsulation of dyes was performed in slightly altered version of Rudolph, et al 9 4 mg dye per 10 mg particles were added to the calcined particles, and stored overnight in a glovebox under nitrogen atmosphere. Then, 0.5 mL dry acetonitrile per 10 mg particles is added and the particle dispersion is stirred overnight in glovebox.…”

“…Spitzmüller, et al 16 showed that calcination is able to re-order silanol bonds to siloxane bonds on the silica surface, thus increasing hydrothermal stability. Fluorophore-doping was adapted from Rudolph, et al 9 and resulting dye concentration inside the MSN carrier was determined to be approx. 19 mg g −1 using TGA, comparable to previously reported MSN loading capacities of 5-70 mg g −1 .…”

“…Carrier MSNs can be directed to a desired location within biological or geological systems or across various mediums, leveraging the targeting capabilities conferred by surface modications. [7][8][9] Such targeted transport is crucial in applications where the mere presence of concentrated molecules at a specic site can induce the desired effect, such as in imaging or sensing. 10 In contrast, release MSNs are based on the ability to release the payloads at targeted locations, which is particularly advantageous for targeted drug delivery.…”

Effect of Hydrophobicity of Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles on Transport in Porous Media: Column Experiments and Modeling

“…Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly used for industrial and environmental purposes (Ames et al., 2013; Galdames et al., 2020; Ko & Huh, 2019; Y. V. Li et al., 2014; Rudolph et al., 2020; Suzuki et al., 2018). An important class of engineering nanoparticles is carbon‐based particles that exhibit unique physical and chemical properties that make them suitable for various applications (Hedayati et al., 2016).…”

Interfacial and Confinement-Mediated Organization of Gas Hydrates, Water, Organic Fluids, and Nanoparticles for the Utilization of Subsurface Energy and Geological Resources

“…Another less studied but highly important consideration in subsurface environments is the assembly, polymerization of silica nanoparticles, and precipitation of silica and silicates that reduce porosity in subsurface environments, particularly in geothermal and hydrocarbons reservoirs. − While the confinement of colloidal suspensions of various nanoparticles has been investigated in the context of materials synthesis , and Pickering emulsions, advanced controls on the nucleation and growth of suspended silica nanoparticles into larger particles in subsurface environments are necessary to develop effective solutions for preventing silica-induced closure of subsurface pore space. The assembly of confined nanoparticles exhibits different thermodynamics and ordering paths relative to bulk fluids. ,, Various factors have been suggested to play an essential role in determining the structures of confined nanoparticles, including the size and geometry of confinement, the size and surface chemistry of nanoparticles, the concentration of nanoparticles in the confined suspensions, the compositions of the associated solutions, and the presence of surface-active additives that interact with the nanoparticles. , The assembly and accumulation of confined nanoparticles have a direct effect on the permeability and flow through porous media. − Pore clogging and fouling due to the presence of nanoparticles have been reported in different porous materials .…”