BACKGROUND
Asphaltenes are present in several oil sources and their precipitation and subsequent deposition in pipelines significantly reduce productivity of oilfields. Also, production from oilsands has garnered increasing environmental concerns which necessitates the development of technologies that utilize asphaltenes as feedstock to generate high-value materials for practical applications.
While carbon fibers have been investigated extensively as potential value-added products, asphaltenes-derived quantum dots (“AQDs”) have notResearchers at University of Calgary developed a strategy to generate super hydrophilic AQDs from asphaltenes at improved mass yield and low synthesis temperature. The AQDs are also non-toxic with easy surface functionality and size tunability and are readily obtained with indistinguishable properties from various sources of asphaltenes. Benefiting from the low cost of the asphaltenes precursor and the scalable synthesis route, the inexpensive AQDs were demonstrated as a platform technology for multiple applications in energy, environment and biomedical sectors.
AREAS OF APPLICATION
- Nano-based water-lubricant additive
- Clinical biomarkers for cancer imaging and phototherapy
- Biosensors for metal ions and antioxidants
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
- Synthesis of AQDs from one or more sources of asphaltenes
- AQDs are non-toxic and easily re-dispersible in water
- AQDs synthesized at low temperatures
- AQDs synthesized with easily tuned surface charge and size
PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
- Researcher profile: Milana Trifkovic
- Lab website: The Trifkovic Research Group