LAUSR

Catalytic aquathermolysis in situ upgrading and reducing the viscosity of heavy oil in the reservoir remarkably enhances the recovery and is considered as a promising technology. However, the low catalytic efficiency and inferior dispersity in both water and oil limit its applications. In the present work, spherical polymer brush nanocatalysts were synthesized, in which nano-TiO2 is the core and poly(vinyl imidazole) (PVI)-loading nickel cations are polymer brushes. The chemical characteristics, polymer-grafting content, nickel-loading content, and morphology of as-prepared catalysts were characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The polymerization degree of PVI was analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra. The effects of the nickel-loading content, catalytic conditions, and hydrogen donor on the viscosity of heavy oil were studi...