Studying the Effectiveness of Polyacrylamide (PAM) Application in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs at Different Operational Conditions

Structural and Mechanistic Insights into a Novel Monooxygenase for Poly(acrylic acid) Biodegradation

Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a high-molecular-weight polymer with extensive applications. However, the inefficient natural degradation of PAM results in environmental accumulation of the polymer. Biodegradation is an environmentally friendly approach in the field of PAM treatment. The first phase of PAM biodegradation is the deamination of PAM, forming the product poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The second phase of PAM biodegradation involves the cleavage of PAA into small molecules, which is a crucial step in the degradation pathway of PAM. However, the enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of PAA and the molecular mechanism remain unclear. Here, a novel monooxygenase PCX02514 is identified as the key enzyme for PAA degradation. Through biochemical experiments, the monooxygenase PCX02514 oxidizes PAA with the participation of NADPH, causing the cleavage of carbon chains and a decrease in the molecular weight of PAA. In addition, the crystal structure of the monooxygenase PCX02514 is solved at a resolution of 1.97 Å. The active pocket is in a long cavity that extends from the C-terminus of the TIM barrel to the protein surface and exhibits positive electrostatic potential, thereby causing the migration of oxygen-negative ions into the active pocket and facilitating the reaction between the substrates and monooxygenase PCX02514. Moreover, Arg10-Arg125-Ser186-Arg187-His253 are proposed as potential active sites in monooxygenase PCX02514. Our research characterizes the molecular mechanism of this monooxygenase, providing a theoretical basis and valuable tools for PAM bioremediation.

Lysine-Triggered Polymeric Hydrogels with Self-Adhesion, Stretchability, and Supportive Properties

Hydrogels, recognized for their flexibility and diverse characteristics, are extensively used in medical fields such as wearable sensors and soft robotics. However, many hydrogel sensors derived from biomaterials lack mechanical strength and fatigue resistance, emphasizing the necessity for enhanced formulations. In this work, we utilized acrylamide and polyacrylamide as the primary polymer network, incorporated chemically modified poly(ethylene glycol) (DF-PEG) as a physical crosslinker, and introduced varying amounts of methacrylated lysine (LysMA) to prepare a series of hydrogels. This formulation was labeled as poly(acrylamide)-DF-PEG-LysMA, abbreviated as pADLx, with x denoting the weight/volume percentage of LysMA. We observed that when the hydrogel contained 2.5% w/v LysMA (pADL2.5), compared to hydrogels without LysMA (pADL0), its stress increased by 642 ± 76%, strain increased by 1790 ± 95%, and toughness increased by 2037 ± 320%. Our speculation regarding the enhanced mechanical performance of the pADL2.5 hydrogel revolves around the synergistic effects arising from the co-polymerization of LysMA with acrylamide and the formation of multiple intermolecular hydrogen bonds within the network structures. Moreover, the acid, amine, and amide groups present in the LysMA molecules have proven to be instrumental contributors to the self-adhesion capability of the hydrogel. The validation of the pADL2.5 hydrogel's exceptional mechanical properties through rigorous tensile tests further underscores its suitability for use in strain sensors. The outstanding stretchability, adhesive strength, and fatigue resistance demonstrated by this hydrogel affirm its potential as a key component in the development of robust and reliable strain sensors that fulfill practical requirements.

Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye from Aqueous Solution with Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide-Doped Polyacrylamide

A cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs)/graphene oxide (GO)/polyacrylamide (PAM) ternary composite was synthesized through free-radical polymerization of acrylamide in the presence of CeO2 nanoparticles and GO in an aqueous system. The synthesized composite material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy techniques and applied for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution. Tauc's model for direct transition was used to model for the optical band gap. The key operating parameters such as the amounts of CeO2-NPs and GO, pH, initial MB concentration, type of light irradiation, and contact time have been optimized to achieve the highest MB degradation percentage. The photocatalysis process was pH-dependent, and the optimum pH value was found to be 12.0. Under UV-A light, 90% dye degradation occurred in 90 min. The degradation of MB was also specified in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Free-radical capture experiments were also performed to determine the role of radical species during the photocatalytic oxidation process. The photocatalytic process showed that the equilibrium data is in good agreement with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model. A rate constant of 0.0259 min-1 was obtained. The hydrogel was also tested to assess its reusability, which is an important key factor in practical wastewater treatment. The photocatalytic activity only decreased to 75% after nine uses.

Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide as an In Situ Assistant in the Nucleation and Growth of Gold Nanoparticles

The modulation of nanoparticles' size, shape, and dispersion by polymers has attracted particular attention in different fields. Nevertheless, there is a lack of information regarding the use of charged macromolecules as assistants in the nanostructures' nucleation and growth processes. Prompted by this, the in situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) aided by hydrolyzed polyacrylamides (HPAM), with different chemical structures, was developed. In contrast to the conventional synthesis of nanostructures assisted by polyacrylamide, here, the polymerization, hydrolysis, and nanostructure formation processes were carried out simultaneously in the same milieu. Likewise, the growing chains acted as a template for the nanoparticles' growth, so their conformations and chemical structure, especially the amount of charges along the chain, played an important role in the AuNPs' morphology, size, and some of the final composite features. The nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized with appropriate techniques, including ATR-FTIR, GPC, UV-Vis, and SEM.

Tailoring Physical Properties of Dual-Network Acrylamide Hydrogel Composites by Engineering Molecular Structures of the Cross-linked Network

We demonstrate the impact of engineering molecular structures of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogel composites on several physical properties. The network structure was systematically varied by (i) the type and the concentration of difunctional cross-linkers and (ii) the type of native or chemically modified natural polymers, including sodium alginate, methacrylate/dopamine-incorporated porcine skin gelatin and fish skin gelatin, and thiol-incorporated lignosulfonate, which are attractive biopolymers generated in pulp and food industries because of their abundance, rich chemical functionalities, and environmental friendliness. First, we added cross-linking agents of varying lengths at different concentrations to assess how the cross-linking agent modulates the mechanical properties of acrylamide-based composites with alginate. After chemically modifying gelatins from fish or porcine skin with methacrylate and/or dopamine, the acrylamide-based composites were fabricated with the chemically modified gelatins and thiolated lignosulfonate to assess the stress-strain behavior. Furthermore, swelling ratios were measured with respect to temperature change. The mechanical properties were systematically modulated by the changes in the molecular structure, that is, the length of the chemical unit between two end alkene groups in the difunctional cross-linker and the types of the additive natural polymers. Overall, PAAm hydrogel composites exhibit a significant, negative correlation between toughness and the volume fraction of the swollen state and between strain at fracture and the volume fraction of the swollen state. In contrast, PNIPAm hydrogel composites showed positive, but only moderate correlations, which is attributed to the difference in the network polymer structure.

Triblock Superabsorbent Polymer Nanocomposites with Enhanced Water Retention Capacities and Rheological Characteristics

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are useful polymers in a wide range of application fields ranging from the hygiene industry to construction and agriculture. As versatility and high water absorption capacity are their important merits, SAPs usually suffer from low water retention capacity (fast release) and weak mechanical properties. To address these drawbacks, a set of new superabsorbent polymer-Halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposites was synthesized via free radical polymerization of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid, and acrylic acid in the presence of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) as the crosslinker. FTIR and TGA characterizations confirm the polymerization of SAP and successful incorporation of HNTs into the SAP polymer matrix. The effect of the HNT nanofiller amount in the nanocomposite polymer matrix was investigated with swelling-release performance tests, crosslink density calculations, and rheology measurements. It was found that equilibrium swelling ratios are correlated and therefore can be tuned via the crosslink densities of nanocomposites, while water retention capacities are governed by storage moduli. A maximum swelling of 537 g/g was observed when 5 wt % HNT was incorporated, in which the crosslink density is the lowest. Among the SAP nanocomposites prepared, the highest storage modulus was observed when 1 wt % of nanofiller was incorporated, which coincides with the nanocomposite with the longest water retention. The water release duration of SAPs was prolonged up to 27 days with 1% HNT addition in parallel with the achieved maximum storage modulus. Finally, three different incorporation mechanisms of the HNT nanofiller into the SAP nanocomposite structure were proposed and confirmed with rheology measurements. This study provides a rapid synthesis method for SAP nanocomposites with enhanced water retention capacities and explains the relationship between swelling and crosslink density and water retention and mechanical properties of SAP nanocomposites.

Study on the Shale Hydration Inhibition Performance of Triethylammonium Acetate

Shale inhibitor is an additive for drilling fluids that can be used to inhibit shale hydration expansion and dispersion, and prevent wellbore collapse. Small molecular quaternary ammonium salt can enter the interlayer of clay crystal, and enables an excellent shale inhibition performance. In this paper, a novel ionic shale inhibitor, triethylammonium acetate (TEYA), was obtained by solvent-free synthesis by using acetic acid and triethylamine as raw materials. The final product was identified as the target product by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The inhibition performance of TEYA was studied by the mud ball immersion test, linear expansion test, rolling recovery test and particle size distribution test. The results demonstrated that the shale inhibitor shows a good shale hydration inhibition performance. The inhibition mechanism was studied by FT-IR and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively; the results showed that triethylammonium acetate TEYA could enter the crystal layer of clay and inhibit it through physical adsorption.

Radical copolymerization kinetics of N-tert-butyl acrylamide and methyl acrylate in polar media

Methyl acrylate/N-tert-butyl acrylamide solution radical copolymerization kinetics is well-represented by the terminal model in ethanol-rich mixtures with water, provided that the influence of solvent on homopropagation kinetics is considered.

In Situ-Formed Novel Elastic Network Binder for a Silicon Anode in Lithium-Ion Batteries

High energy density lithium-ion batteries with preferable cycling stability are critical for the development of all-electric vehicles. Silicon (Si) has demonstrated a remarkable potential for application as anode materials due to its superior capacity performance and worldwide abundance. However, Si intrinsically undergoes substantial volume fluctuation during repeated lithiation/delithiation processes, which pulverizes the Si particles and undermines the integrity of the electrode structures, thus resulting in frustrating cycling stability. We developed a polymer binder with a highly stretchable and elastic network structure that can accommodate volume variation of Si. This was realized by an in situ cross-linking of polyacrylic acid (PAA) with isocyanate-terminated polyurethane oligomers that consist of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains and 2-ureido-4-pyrimidinone (UPy) moieties through the reaction between isocyanate and carboxyl during the electrode preparation process. In this binder network, PAA could strongly adhere to the Si particles by forming hydrogen bonding with the surface hydroxyl groups. The PEG chains induce the flexibility of the polymer network, while the UPy moieties endow the polymer network with desirable mechanical strength through the formation of reversible and strong quadruple H-bonding cross-linkers. This binder not only can sufficiently accommodate the volume change of Si but can also provide a strong mechanical support to effectively sustain the integrity for the Si anode, consequently enhancing cycle stability and rate performance.

Geochemical Stability of Oil Sands Tailings in Mine Closure Landforms

Oil sands surface mining in Alberta has generated over a billion cubic metres of waste, known as tailings, consisting of sands, silts, clays, and process-affected water that contains toxic organic compounds and chemical constituents. All of these tailings will eventually be reclaimed and integrated into one of two types of mine closure landforms: end pit lakes (EPLs) or terrestrial landforms with a wetland feature. In EPLs, tailings deposits are capped with several metres of water while in terrestrial landforms, tailings are capped with solid materials, such as sand or overburden. Because tailings landforms are relatively new, past research has heavily focused on the geotechnical and biogeochemical characteristics of tailings in temporary storage ponds, referred to as tailings ponds. As such, the geochemical stability of tailings landforms remains largely unknown. This review discusses five mechanisms of geochemical change expected in tailings landforms: consolidation, chemical mass loading via pore water fluxes, biogeochemical cycling, polymer degradation, and surface water and groundwater interactions. Key considerations and knowledge gaps with regard to the long-term geochemical stability of tailings landforms are identified, including salt fluxes and subsequent water quality, bioremediation and biogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and the biogeochemical implications of various tailings treatment methods meant to improve geotechnical properties of tailings, such as flocculant (polyacrylamide) and coagulant (gypsum) addition.

Application of Water-Soluble Polymer/Biopolymer Combined with a Biosurfactant in Oil-Wet Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs

Most fractured carbonate reservoirs are characterized by a highly permeable fracture zone surrounded by a low-permeability oil-wet matrix. These features make the displacement of oil from the matrix into the fracture zone almost impossible during water flooding. This paper presents the results of flooding with the polymer polyacrylamide (PAM) and the biopolymer xanthan gum (XG) in combination with a biosurfactant to enhance water imbibition into oil-wet fractured carbonate rocks. Core flooding experiments were conducted on induced horizontally fractured (at 180°) carbonate cores in room conditions (20 ± 2 °C). The polymer or biopolymer was used to plug the fracture zones, while the biosurfactant was added to the system to alter the wettability state of the rock matrix from oil-wet to water-wet. Rock surface characterization before and after core flooding was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that PAM flooding led to a higher reduction of 35.6% in fracture-matrix permeability than that with XG at 18.3%. The monitoring of oil production also showed that ultimate oil recovery levels from oil-wet fractured carbonate cores for the aforementioned systems were 16 and 8.7%, respectively, which can be attributed to the drive mechanisms of temporary fracture plugging as well as mobility ratio improvement due to the polymer and wettability alteration by the biosurfactant. SEM images confirm the proposed mechanisms, where the presence of the polymer/biopolymer followed by the biosurfactant can be detected at the rock surface as a result of chemical flow through the system.

Selective extracellular arginine deprivation by a single injection of cellular non-uptake arginine deiminase nanocapsules for sustained tumor inhibition

The metabolic enzyme-based arginine deprivation represents a tremendous opportunity to treat argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1)-deficient tumors. Arginine deiminase (ADI), a typical representative, has aroused great interest. To date, the functional modification of ADI, such as PEGylation, has been applied to improve its weakness significantly, reducing its immunogenicity and extending its blood circulation time. However, the advantages of ADI, such as the cellular non-uptake property, are often deprived by current modification methods. The cellular non-uptake property of ADI only renders extracellular arginine degradation that negligibly influences normal cells. However, current-functionalized ADIs can be readily phagocytized by cells, causing the imbalance of intracellular amino acids and the consequent damage to normal cells. Therefore, it is necessary to exploit a new method that can simultaneously improve the weakness of ADI and maintain its advantage of cellular non-uptake. Here, we utilized a kind of phosphorylcholine (PC)-rich nanocapsule to load ADI. These nanocapsules possessed extremely weak cellular interaction and could avoid uptake by endothelial cells (HUVEC), immune cells (RAW 264.7), and tumor cells (H22), selectively depriving extracellular arginine. Besides, these nanocapsules increased the blood half-life time of ADI from the initial 2 h to 90 h and efficiently avoided its immune or inflammatory responses. After a single injection of ADI nanocapsules into H22 tumor-bearing mice, tumors were stably suppressed for 25 d without any detectable side effects. This new strategy first realizes the selective extracellular arginine deprivation for the treatment of ASS1-deficient tumors, potentially promoting the clinical translation of metabolic enzyme-based amino acid deprivation therapy. Furthermore, the research reminds us that the functionalization of drugs can not only improve its weakness but also maintain its advantages.

Enhancement of Podocyte Attachment on Polyacrylamide Hydrogels with Gelatin-Based Polymers

Biological activities of cells such as survival and differentiation processes are mainly maintained by a specific extracellular matrix (ECM). Hydrogels have recently been employed successfully in tissue engineering applications. In particular, scaffolds made of gelatin methacrylate-based hydrogels (GelMA) showed great potential due to their biocompatibility, biofunctionality, and low mechanical strength. The development of a hydrogel having tunable and appropriate mechanical properties as well as chemical and biological cues was the aim of this work. A synthetic and biological hybrid hydrogel was developed to mimic the biological and mechanical properties of native ECM. A combination of gelatin methacrylate and acrylamide (GelMA-AAm)-based hydrogels was studied, and it showed tunable mechanical properties upon changing the polymer concentrations. Different GelMA-AAm samples were prepared and studied by varying the concentrations of GelMA and AAm (AAm_2.5% + GelMA_3%, AAm_5% + GelMA_3%, and AAm_5% + GelMA_5%). The swelling behavior, biodegradability, physicochemical and mechanical properties of GelMA-AAm were also characterized. The results showed a variation of swelling capability and a tunable elasticity ranging from 4.03 to 24.98 kPa depending on polymer concentrations. Moreover, the podocyte cell morphology, cytoskeleton reorganization and differentiation were evaluated as a function of GelMA-AAm mechanical properties. We concluded that the AAm_2.5% + GelMA_3% hydrogel sample having an elasticity of 4.03 kPa can mimic the native kidney glomerular basement membrane (GBM) elasticity and allow podocyte cell attachment without the functionalization of the gel surface with adhesion proteins compared to synthetic hydrogels (PAAm). This work will further enhance the knowledge of the behavior of podocyte cells to understand their biological properties in both healthy and diseased states.

Development of Greener D-Metal Inorganic Crosslinkers for Polymeric Gels Used in Water Control in Oil and Gas Applications

Crosslinkable polymers, such as polyacrylamide (PAM), are widely applied for water control in oil and gas reservoirs. Organic and inorganic crosslinkers are used to formulate a gel with PAM. Although chromium has a high level of toxicity, it has been implemented as an effective crosslinker combined with carboxylates because of the controllability of crosslinking time at low temperatures. The objective of this work was to develop greener d-metal inorganic crosslinkers based on cobalt, copper, and nickel to replace chromium for application at reservoir conditions. The obtained results showed that the gelation chemistry of the developed systems depends on the metal charge density. The gelation of PAM with d-metals depends on pH and temperature for low- and high-charge density, respectively. Cobalt (II) acetate (CoAc) was effective at high temperatures (130–150 °C) and forms (4% CoAc + 9%PAM) stable, and strong gels at a pH > 7 with a storage modulus exceeding 4300 Pa. However, Nickel Acetate and Cupper Acetate formed stable weak gels at low temperatures (50–70 °C) and a pH > 6 and gel decomposition was observed upon increasing the temperature. The developed formulations were compatible with low-salinity water (1000 ppm NaCl).

The Inhibition Property and Mechanism of a Novel Low Molecular Weight Zwitterionic Copolymer for Improving Wellbore Stability

In this work, a novel low molecular weight zwitterionic copolymer for improving wellbore stability, which is expected to be an alternative to the current shale inhibitors, was obtained by copolymerization of tris hydroxyethyl allyl ammonium bromide (THAAB), 2-acrylamido-2- methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and acrylamide (AM), initiated by a redox initiation system in an aqueous solution. The copolymer, denoted as SX-1, was characterized by FT-IR, TGA-DSC, and GPC. Results demonstrated that the molecular weight of SX-1 was approximately 13,683 g/mol and it displayed temperature resistance up to 225 °C. Regarding the inhibition performance, evaluation experiments showed the hot rolling recovery of a Longmaxi shale sample in 2.0 wt % SX-1 solutions was up to 90.31% after hot rolling for 16 h at 120 °C. The Linear swelling height of Na-MMT artificial core in 2.0 wt % SX-1 solution was just 4.74 mm after 16 h. Methods including particle size analysis, FTIR, XRD, and SEM were utilized to study the inhibition mechanism of SX-1; results demonstrated that SX-1 had entered into the inner layer of sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and adsorbed on the inner surface, and the micro-structure of Na-MMT was successfully changed by SX-1. The particle size of Na-MMT in distilled water was 8.05 μm, and it was observed that its size had increased to 603 μm after the addition of 2.0 wt % of SX-1. Its superior properties make this novel low molecular weight copolymer promising for ensuring wellbore stability, particularly for high temperature wells.

Synthesis, Property and Mechanism Analysis of a Novel Polyhydroxy Organic Amine Shale Hydration Inhibitor

Based on the adsorption mechanism analysis of polyhydroxy organic compound on a shale surface, a novel polyhydroxy organic amine shale hydration inhibitor N, N, N′, N′-tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediamine (THEED) was synthesized via a nucleophilic reaction by using diethanolamine and dibromoethane as raw materials. Its structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Hydrogen Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS). The inhibition performance of THEED was studied by a shale rolling recovery experiment, a linear expansion experiment and the particle size distribution experiment. Results showed the shale rolling recovery rate in 2.0 wt % THEED solutions was up to 89.6% at the rolling condition of 100 °C × 16 h, and the linear expansion height of artificial shale core in 2.0 wt % THEED solutions was just 4.74 mm after 16 h. The average particle size of Na-bentonite (Na-MMT) in fresh water was 8.05 μm, and it was observed that the average particle size has been increased to 124 μm in 2.0 wt % THEED solutions. The shale hydration inhibition mechanism of the novel inhibitor THEED was analyzed by FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), we concluded that the nice shale hydration inhibition performance of THEED was achieved by means of intercalation and adsorption onto the surface of shale. The superior shale hydration inhibition property makes THEED promising in maintaining wellbore stability in drilling engineering.

Application of polymer integration technique for enhancing polyacrylamide (PAM) performance in high temperature and high salinity reservoirs

Polyacrylamides (PAM) are widely used as water-soluble polymers producing gel in oil reservoirs to assist in oil extraction from reservoirs with high levels of heterogeneity. These gels are susceptible to degradation due to hydrolysis in harsh reservoir conditions such as elevated temperature and salinity. This study uses a polymer integration technique in attempting to optimize the performance of PAM in the enhanced oil recovery process for reservoirs with high temperature and salinity. The results show that, at high temperature, hydrolysis is suppressed and gel stability is maintained via the addition of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to PAM solutions.

The optimum composition was identified as being 20/80 wt% PAM: PVP for oilfield operations at 90 °C and a moderate salinity of 43,280 ppm. The degree of hydrolysis at 30 days was suppressed from 75% to 29.9%, with associated increases in viscosity from 11 to 38.2 mPa.s and from 18 to 44.3 mPa.s corresponding to rotational speeds of 30 and 10 rpm respectively.

The issue of high salinity was considered by increasing the salinity of the optimised PAM: PVP mixture to 200,000 ppm. Under these conditions the degree of hydrolysis of the optimised solution increased from 29.9 to 46.9% and viscosity decreased from 38.2 to 28.6 and from 44.3 to 40.4 mPa.s for rotational speeds of 30 and 10 rpm respectively. 2-Acrylamido-2-MethylpropaneSulfonic acid (AMPS) was added to the mix to try to improve temperature stability. It was observed that, with an optimum composition of 18/72/10 wt% PAM:PVP:AMPS, the degree of hydrolysis decreased to 22% with viscosity levels of 30.6 and 22.8 mPa.s corresponding to rotational speeds of 10 and 30 rpm respectively.

Preparation of a Hydrophobic-Associating Polymer with Ultra-High Salt Resistance Using Synergistic Effect

Polymer, SRP-2-1, was synthesized by micellar polymerization and characterized by ¹H NMR. Salt tolerance and viscoelasticity tests verified that the salt resistance of SRP-2-1 was promoted by the synergistic effects of oxyethylene groups, sulfonate, and hydrophobic chains. It is suggested that the structure of SRP-2-1 became more compact with increasing salinity. Furthermore, a mechanism is proposed as to why SRP-2-1 solution has excellent salt-resistance properties. The experimental results indicate that, because of the good shear resistance properties, the polymer SRP-2-1 could be used as an alternative in many fields, for instance in fracturing fluids, enhanced oil recovery, and sewage treatment.