ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Understanding Sulphur and Nitrogen-Aromatic interactions from liquid structure

Abstract: Asphaltenes are a complex and problematic fraction of crude oil that can precipitate, alter wettability and stabilise unwanted oil-in-water emulsions. Asphaltenes have a high proportion of aromatic carbon and heteroatoms (N, S, O) and are generally thought to consist of one (or more) aromatic cores with alkyl side chains. Despite considerable effort, there is little consensus as to the key structural features involved in asphaltene aggregation. We hypothesise that sulfur contining molecules play an important role in promoting aggregation. In the proposed SANDALS experiment we will use neutron diffraction to characterise the liquid structures of sulphur containing molecule (thiophene), and mixtures of thiophene or pyridine with benzene. The measurements will have particular significance for the study of the structure in biological macro-molecules and crude oil asphaltenes.

Principal Investigator: Dr Tom Headen
Experimenter: Professor Erich Muller
Experimenter: Dr Michael Hoepfner
Experimenter: Dr Guadalupe Jimenez Serratos
Experimenter: Mr K M Rizwanur Rahman

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1820594

ISIS Experiment Number: RB1820594

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Tom Headen et al; (2018): Understanding Sulphur and Nitrogen-Aromatic interactions from liquid structure, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1820594

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.