Surfactants are used to manipulate properties of mineral surfaces and fluid properties (<i>e.g.</i>, interfacial tension) for industrial applications including enhanced oil recovery, geological carbon storage, and environmental remediation. To better control the flow of fluids in these subsurface environments, science-based improvements can be achieved from a molecular understanding of complex fluids at mineral interfaces. Our specific focus is on the effect of cation binding on anionic surfactant behavior at mica surfaces, as mica is a well characterized mineral representative of clay phases present in many geologic formations. Results will be presented from molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the partitioning of an anionic surfactant (AOT) in aqueous fluids near a mica surface. Simulation results will be compared with experiment (cryogenic electron microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy).

Molecular dynamics simulation of surfactant partitioning at aqueous mica interfaces

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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