This review summarizes some of the recent advances related to shallow penetration conformance sealants (SPCS) based on cross-linked polymer nanocomposite gels. The cross-linked polymer nanocomposite gels formed a three-dimensional (3D) gel structure upon contact with either water or oil when placed at the downhole. Therefore, the cross-linked polymer nanocomposite gels offer a total or partial water shutoff. Numerous polymeric gels and their nanocomposites prepared using various techniques have been explored to address the conformance problems. Nevertheless, their instability at high temperature, high pressure, and high salinity down-hole conditions (HT-HP-HS) often makes the treatments unsuccessful. Incorporating inert particles into the cross-linked polymer nanocomposite gel matrices improves stability under harsh down-hole conditions. This review discusses potential polymeric nanocomposite gels and their successful application in conformance control.

Cobalt-ion batteries are considered a promising battery chemistry for renewable energy storage. However, there are indeed challenges associated with co-ion batteries that demonstrate undesirable side reactions due to hydrogen gas production. This study demonstrates the use of a nanocomposite electrolyte that provides stable performance cycling and high Co²⁺ conductivity (approximately 24 mS cm⁻¹). The desirable properties of the nanocomposite material can be attributed to its mechanical strength, which remains at nearly 68 MPa, and its ability to form bonds with H₂O. These findings offer potential solutions to address the challenges of co-dendrite, contributing to the advancement of co-ion batteries as a promising battery chemistry. The exceptional cycling stability of the co-metal anode, even at ultra-high rates, is a significant achievement demonstrated in the study using the nanocomposite electrolyte. The co-metal anode has a 3500-cycle current density of 80 mA cm⁻², which indicates excellent stability and durability. Moreover, the cumulative capacity of 15.6 Ah cm⁻² at a current density of 40 mA cm⁻² highlights the better energy storage capability. This performance is particularly noteworthy for energy storage applications where high capacity and long cycle life are crucial. The H₂O bonding capacity of the component in the nanocomposite electrolyte plays a vital role in reducing surface passivation and hydrogen evolution reactions. By forming strong bonds with H₂O molecules, the polyethyne helps prevent unwanted reactions that can deteriorate battery performance and efficiency. This mitigates issues typically associated with excess H₂O and ion presence in aqueous Co-ion batteries. Furthermore, the high-rate performance with excellent stability and cycling stability performance (>500 cycles at 8 C) of full Co||MnO₂ batteries fabricated with this electrolyte further validates its effectiveness in practical battery configurations. These results indicate the potential of the nanocomposite electrolyte as a valuable and sustainable option, simplifying the development of reliable and efficient energy storage systems and renewable energy applications.

Polymer waste drilling fluid has extremely high stability, and it is difficult to separate solid from liquid, which has become a key bottleneck problem restricting its resource recycling. This study aims to reveal the stability mechanism of polymer waste drilling fluid and explore the destabilization effect and mechanism of ultrasonic waste drilling fluid. Surface analysis techniques such as X-ray energy spectrum and infrared spectrum were used in combination with colloidal chemical methods to study the spatial molecular structure, stability mechanism, and ultrasonic destabilization mechanism of drilling fluid. The results show that the particles in the drilling fluid exist in two forms: uncoated particles and particles coated by polymers, forming a high molecular stable particle system. Among them, rock particles not coated by polymer follow the vacancy stability and Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) stability mechanism, and the weighting material coated by the polymer surface follows the space stability and DLVO stability mechanism. The results of ultrasonic destabilization experiments show that after ultrasonic treatment at 1000 W power for 5 min, coupled with the addition of 0.02% cationic polyacrylamide, the dehydration rate is as high as 81.0%, and the moisture content of the mud cake is as low as 29.3%, achieving an excellent solid-liquid separation effect. Ultrasound destabilizes polymer waste drilling fluid by destroying the long-chain structure of the polymer. This study provides theoretical support and research direction for the research and development of polymer waste drilling fluid destabilization technology.

The search for the development of nanostructured materials has led to the study of the properties of their precursors. For the production of nanofibers by the electrospinning process, it is necessary to determine the rheological parameters of the precursor solutions. Since these properties can be influenced by the processing variables and chemical composition of the polymer, this study aims to elucidate the effect of the addition of vinyl monomers in the formulation of nanofibers based on polyacrylonitrile and to determine the optimal parameters for the production of the precursor polymer solution. The effects of temperature and addition of vinyl monomers were evaluated by rheometry, from the analysis of the variation of the viscosity of the solutions, and by microscopy, the morphology of the nanofibers produced. It was observed that the increase in the temperature used to produce the solutions improves the fibers’ properties. Still, there is a relationship between the time of exposure of the polymeric solution to the temperature and the homogeneity of the fibers, which cannot exceed 45 min. The addition of vinyl monomers, to produce PAN-PVA co-polymeric fibers, increases the conductivity and reduces the viscosity of the solutions, resulting in more refined and homogeneous fibers.

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit unique and tunable plasmonic properties. The size and shape of these particles can manipulate their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property and their response to the local environment. The LSPR property of nanoparticles is exploited by their optical, chemical, and biological sensing. This is an interdisciplinary area that involves chemistry, biology, and materials science. In this paper, a polymer system is used with the optimization technique of blending two polymers. The two polymer composites polystyrene/poly (4-vinylpyridine) (PS/P4VP) (50:50) and (75:25) were used as found suitable by their previous morphological studies. The results of 50, 95, and 50, 150 nm thicknesses of silver nanoparticles deposited on PS/P4VP (50:50) and (75:25) were explored to observe their optical sensitivity. The nature of the polymer composite embedded with silver nanoparticles affects the size of the nanoparticle and its distribution in the matrix. The polymer composites used are found to have a uniform distribution of nanoparticles of various sizes. The optical properties of Ag nanoparticles embedded in suitable polymer composites for the development of the latest plasmonic applications, owing to their unique properties, were explored. The sensing capability of a particular polymer composite is found to depend on the size of the nanoparticle embedded in it. The optimum result has been found for silver nanoparticles of 150 nm thickness deposited on PS/P4VP (75:25).

Prepolymers containing isocyanates must be prevented from curing when exposed to moisture, which can be achieved by blocking the isocyanate groups with a suitable agent. The study carefully examines several blocking agents, including methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), caprolactam, and phenol, and concludes that methyl ethyl ketoxime is the best choice. Spectroscopic and thermal analyses, as well as oven curing studies, are conducted with various blocking agents and isocyanate prepolymer to castor oil ratios, revealing MEKO to be the most effective blocking agent which gets unblocked at higher temperatures.