title: Pyrolyzable Nanoparticle Tracers for Environmental Interrogation and Monitoring.
abstract: Environmental tracing applications require materials that can be detected in complex fluids composed of multiple phases and contaminants. Moreover, large libraries of tracers are necessary in order to mitigate memory effects and to deploy multiple tracers simultaneously in complex oil fields. Herein, we disclose a novel approach based on the thermal decomposition of polymeric nanoparticles comprised of styrenic and methacrylic monomers. Polymeric nanoparticles derived from these monomers cleanly decompose into their constituent monomers at elevated temperatures, thereby maximizing atom economy wherein the entire nanoparticle mass contributes to the generation of detectable units. A total of ten unique single monomer particles and three dual-monomer particles were synthesized using semicontinuous monomer starved addition polymerization. The pyrolysis gas chromatography-flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry (GC-FID/MS) behavior of these particles was studied using high-pressure mass spectrometry. The programmable nature of our methodology permits simultaneous removal of contaminants and subsequent identification and quantification in a single analytical step.
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Jason R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8881-0670
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alsenani
authors.affiliation: 908 Devices Inc. , 27 Drydock Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, United States.
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4254-0788
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: 908 Devices Inc. , 27 Drydock Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, United States.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roush
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Rena
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1204-6981
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Hooisweng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ow
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Sehoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kmetz
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Eichmann
authors.affiliation: Aramco Research Center-Boston, Aramco Services Company , 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Poitzsch
keywords: colloidal stability; enhanced oil recovery; high-pressure mass spectrometry; nanoparticles; pyrolysis GC-MS; thermally degradable polymers