Nanoparticle Tracers in Reservoir-On-A-chip by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering - Fluorescence SERS-SEF Imaging Technology

Abstract Nanoparticles or nanocomposite fluids are injected into oil reservoirs for reservoir tracing or to improve injectivity or recovery of oil. Effective application of nanoparticles in fluid flooding still needs to be investigated. Dual-mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) - surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) composite nanoparticles have been developed as nanoparticle reservoir tracers. This presentation discusses their transport and detectability in porous media, providing valuable information for understanding the role of nanoparticles in EOR process. The dual-mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) - surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) composite nanoparticles are synthesized composed of Ag or Au metal cores, specific dye molecules, and a SiO2 shell materials. To optimize maximum signal enhancement of both phenomena such as SERS and SEF, the distance between core metal nanoparticles and dye molecules are precisely controlled. The synthesized composite nanoparticles barcoded with dye molecules are detectable by both fluorescence and Raman spectroscopies due to the SERS-SEF phenomena. Both fluorescence and Raman microscopic images of dye embedded surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS) surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) composite nanoparticles in water phase successfully were collected within microfluidic reservoir-on-a-chip. The reservoir-on-a-chip utilized in this study fabricated based on reservoir rock geometry and coated with calcium carbonate. The synthesized SERS-SEF composite nanoparticles in water solution have been flooded into the microfluidic reservoir-on-a-chip and imaged for probing interfacial behavior of fluids such as liquid-liquid interfaces and studying the behavior of nanoparticles at liquid-rock interfaces. The precise synthesis method to produce the composite nanoparticles has been developed for the embedded dye molecules to generate noticeably enhanced detectability due to the strong SERS phenomenon. In conclusion, SERS-SEF nanoparticles barcoded with the fingerprinted Raman and fluorescence signals can provide a possible pathway toward SERS-SEF nanoprobe as various barcoded tracers to understand fluid behavior in porous media. Composite nanoparticle synthesis and its detection in flow technologies have been developed for visualization of the fluid flow behavior in porous media representing reservoir rock geometry. The results of the high-resolution nanoparticle fluid imaging data in reservoir-on-a-chip can be applied to understand mechanism of nanoparticle fluid assisted chemical enhanced oil recovery.