Channels Of MCM-41 Research Articles

Synthesis of N,N′-alkylidene bisamides and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction derivatives with Pd organometallic catalyst anchored to channels of mesoporous silica MCM-41

At first, an organometallic catalyst namely, Pd-DPyE@MCM-41@MNP was prepared through magnetic (Fe3O4) nanoparticles-doped into channels of mesoporous silica MCM-41 and then, anchoring a novel complex composed of di(4-pyridyl)ethylene and palladium on the inner surface of the support. This immobilized catalyst was successfully identified via VSM, ICP-OES, TEM, FTIR, TGA, SEM, BET, XRD, EDX and elemental mapping analyses. After that, it was used as a versatile, heterogeneous, and magnetically reproducible catalyst in the generation of N,N′-alkylidene bisamides (1a-13a, 8–20 min, 90–98%, 50 °C, solvent-free) and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling (SMC) reaction derivatives (1b-26b, 10–140 min, 86–98%, 60 °C, PEG-400). The VSM plot of Pd-DPyE@MCM-41@MNP displays that this nanocatalyst can be easily recycled by applying an external magnetic field. In both synthetic paths, this nanocatalyst was reused at least seven times without palladium leaching and significantly reducing its catalytic performance. Also, stability and heterogeneous nature of catalyst were approved via ICP-OES technique and hot filtration test.

Synthesis and characterization of a new Schiff-base complex of copper on magnetic MCM-41 nanoparticles as efficient and reusable nanocatalyst in the synthesis of tetrazoles

In this work, first we synthesized 2,2′-((1Z,11Z)-2,5,8,11-tetraazadodeca-1,11-diene-1,12-diyl)bis(4-bromophenol) (TDBB) as a new Schiff-base ligand. Also, magnetic MCM-41 nanoparticles (MCM-41/Fe3O4) were synthesized by doping Fe3O4 into mesoporous MCM-41 channels. Then, MCM-41/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were modified by TDBB. Finally, a copper Schiff-base complex of TDBB (Cu-TDBB@MCM-41/Fe3O4 was synthesized by anchoring copper ions on the modified MCM-41/Fe3O4. The prepared nanocatalyst has been characterized by various techniques such as SEM, EDS, AAS, WDX, TGA, and XRD. Cu-TDBB@MCM-41/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were employed as an environmentally friendly, valuable, and reusable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles and all products were formed with good to excellent yields. In addition, Cu-TDBB@MCM-41/Fe3O4 nanocatalyst can be recovered and reused up to six times without considerably decreasing catalytic efficiency or metal leaching.

Eco-friendly nitration of acetanilide over MCM-41-supported CeCuCoOx catalyst: A solid acidic catalysis strategy

The development of solid acidic catalyst is of great significance to the safe, controllable, efficient and environment-friendly nitration of aromatics. Herein, a series of trimetallic supported catalysts were obtained by the equivalent-volumetic impregnation method. In the as-prepared Ce4Cu6Co0.5Ox/MCM-41 catalyst with strong acidic sites, the metal oxide particles mainly distributed in a form of nanowires in MCM-41 molecular sieve channels. And, the Ce4Cu6Co0.5Ox/MCM-41 catalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic performance for the nitration of acetanilide with equivalent dilute nitric acid as a nitration reagent. Surprisingly, 91% conversion of acetanilide with 91.6% selectivity to mono-nitroacetanilide was achieved. The nitration of acetanilide obviously exhibited a typical ortho-para nitration effect of the aromatics. Furthermore, an excellent stability and acceptable reusability proved a potential to replace the nitration system of concentrated acid in chemical industry. The Lewis acid sites of Ce4Cu6Co0.5Ox/MCM-41 solid acid catalyst can act a similar role to a strong protic acid in mixed acid system, which can polarize nitric acid molecules to form active NO2+ reagents. Meanwhile, the abundant strong acidic sites of solid acidic Ce4Cu6Co0.5Ox in MCM-41 channels are significantly conducive to the sorption and activation of the reactants. The present work provides a prospective strategy for constructing a solidic acid catalyst with an eco-friendly nitration of aromatics.

Pd(II) Schiff base complex anchored on MCM-41, a reusable catalyst for the Heck reaction

A Palladium (II) Schiff base complex was implanted on the surface of MCM-41 to fabricate a simple and reusable catalyst using post-grafting methodology. The surface of MCM-41 initially modified with 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane (CPTES), followed by the Schiff base ligand (PAL) and on reacting with PdCl2 results in the formation of MCM@CP@PAL@Pd complex. Characterization of the designed heterogeneous catalyst by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques indicated successful grafting of Palladium (II) complex inside the hexagonal channels of MCM-41.The MCM@CP@PAL@Pd catalyst was used for a good range of Heck reactions using different aryl halides with styrene or alkyl acrylate esters. The catalyst has low metal content, provides magnificent yield (95%) in a short time period (20 min), displayed excellent structural and chemical stability and can be reused seven times without remarkable change in its catalytic efficiency.

Imidazolium-based ionic liquid confined into ordered mesoporous MCM-41 for efficient dehumidification

Composite sorbents with hygroscopic salts (like LiCl and CaCl2) impregnated porous matrixes obtained special attention in the past years, especially for solid desiccant dehumidification. However, the drawback of strong corrosivity limited their practical implementation. Alternatively, ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole acetate) with less corrosivity is confined into ordered mesoporous MCM-41 to fabricate composite sorbent in this study, overcoming the poor mass transfer or limited adsorption capacity of single sorbent. Comprehensive characterizations including SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR and N2 adsorption prove that the ionic liquid is encapsulated in ordered channels of MCM-41. Sorption isotherms and kinetics indicate that the composite sorbent has superior water sorption performance (0.5 g/g at 20 °C/70 % RH), fast sorption rate under wide humidity range and potential of low temperature-driven regeneration. Moreover, the leakage test and corrosion experiment reveal that the composite sorbent has long-term stability and is corrosion-free to metal components. Further, the dehumidification performance using desiccant coated heat exchanger with reported composite sorbent is evaluated, showing 5 times higher dehumidification capacity than that of MCM-41 and 2 times higher than traditional silica gel (typical ARI summer, 35 °C, 40 % RH). This study identifies a feasible way of using ionic liquids to develop energy-efficient, safety-ensured and low-cost composite sorbents for water sorption-related applications.

In situ reduction of PdO encapsulated in MCM-41 to Pd(0) for dehydrogenation of formic acid

A series of PdO@MCM-41-x was in situ synthesized by a facile one-pot method, and their catalytic performance for dehydrogenation of formic acid was investigated. The PdO nanoparticles were immobilized in MCM-41 channel with small size of 2.2–2.5 nm due to the confinement of mesoporous silica. The initial turnover frequency (TOF) of as-prepared catalyst can reach 1096 h−1 at 323 K with 100% hydrogen selectivity. The hydrogen production activity was better than that of catalyst priorly reduced by hydrogen because of the gradual reduction of PdO nanoparticles and generation of fresh Pd(0) during the formic acid dehydrogenation process, which was confirmed by XPS characterization and catalytic system monitoring. It provides a new way for the preparation of simple and efficient catalysts for hydrogen production, which has great application potential.

Tubular Clay Nano-Straws in Ordered Mesoporous Particles Create Hierarchical Porosities Leading to Improved CO2 Uptake

The use of solid adsorbents for CO2 capture is of importance in the development of technologies to remove this greenhouse gas. High surface area mesoporous materials are used to encapsulate or functionalize amines that selectively capture CO2. The MCM-41 class of hexagonally ordered mesoporous silicas have surface areas between 1000 and 1500 m2/g, which in principle allows a significant degree of capture when amines such as polyethyleneimine (PEI) are encapsulated within the pores and occupy the entire surface area of the materials. However, the tight 3 nm pore channels of MCM-41 create a challenge to the infiltration of PEI throughout the pore volume, resulting in much lower CO2 uptake at high PEI concentrations. This work describes the introduction of clay nanotubes (halloysite) with an inner diameter of 15–30 nm into MCM-41 pellets to mitigate such diffusional restrictions. The introduction of the nanotubes is through a one-step ship-in-a-bottle approach to synthesis in an aerosol-assisted system where MCM-41 is synthesized in droplets containing the halloysite. The morphology of the composite material is such that several nanotubes extend from the interior and protrude through the surface of the pellet like straws. These ceramic nanotubes are 0.5–2 μm in length, and their lumen diameter ranges from 15 to 30 nm, thus providing an improved entry pathway for molecules to access the interior of the MCM-41 pellets. The concept is used to enhance PEI loading in MCM-41, which leads to a significant increase in CO2 uptake levels. MCM-41 composites with halloysite nano-straws (MCM-41/HNT) show a doubling of CO2 uptake levels (7.1 wt %) and uptake kinetics (k = 0.11 s–1) in comparison to MCM-41 sorbents (3.9 wt % and k = 0.05 s–1) at 50 wt % PEI loading. This indicates the potential validity of the nano-straws to improve access to the interior of MCM-41, thus coupling enhanced molecular transport with a high surface area material. The generality of the concept indicates further applications to adsorption and catalysis.

Hexagonal Mesoporous Silica for carbon capture: Unrevealing CO2 microscopic dynamics by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Global warming and environmental concerns have triggered global efforts to reduce anthropogenic carbon emission. Against this background, mesoporous silica materials have experienced a great expansion in the latest years due to their interesting carbon capture properties. Despite the very vast literature currently available in synthetic strategies and adsorption behaviour of MSs, the internal arrangement and diffusion properties of carbon dioxide (CO2) inside silica mesopores, to date, have been barely clarified. Here, mesoporous silica material with hexagonal framework (MCM-41) has been synthesized by a modified Stöber process, and its CO2 capture properties were assessed yielding a maximum amount of CO2 adsorbed of 18 wt% at 15 bar and RT. Fort the first time, microscopic distribution of CO2 and its mobility in the MCM-41 mesopores have been investigated by 13C NMR techniques. Peak fitting analysis of the 13C NMR spectra and T1-relaxometry data revealed a multiple component configuration for CO2 adsorbed in the silica mesopores with at least two physisorbed species coexisting. 13C PFG NMR self-diffusion study showed anisotropic long-range mobility for carbon dioxide adsorbed in MCM-41. The fastest self-diffusion coefficient, ascribed CO2 molecules diffusing parallel to the axis of the MCM-41 channels, was in the order of 10−5 cm2 s-1, i.e., two order of magnitude higher that of gas diffusing perpendicular to the mesopore. This study is crucial to properly address the future design and preparation of mesoporous silica materials with improved CO2 capture performances.

Magnetically recoverable nanostructured Pd complex of dendrimeric type ligand on the MCM-41: Preparation, characterization and catalytic activity in the Heck reaction

Abstract A palladium complex of a dendrimer type ligand of aminoethylacrylamide immobilized onto the mesoporous channels of MCM-41 with magnetic core was prepared and characterized using various techniques such as XRD, TEM, BET, FT-IR, TGA, and VSM. The prepared nanostructured material was found as a magnetically recoverable catalyst for Heck reaction of aryl halides and vinylic C–H. The catalyst is easily recoverable with an external magnet and is reusable with different leaching amounts depending to loading of Pd. A hot filtration test was also performed and gave evidence that Palladium in heterogeneous samples can dissolve and then redeposit on the surface of the support material.

Enhancement of the catalytic performance and coke resistance of alcohol-promoted Ni/MCM-41 catalysts for CH4/CO2 reforming

A series of Ni-based catalysts were prepared by the alcohol-promoted impregnation for CO2 reforming of methane. In order to illuminate the effects of carbon chain numbers and hydroxyl group numbers on the catalytic performance and coke resistance of Ni-based catalysts, the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, BET, H2-TPR, FT-IR, XPS, TG, and TEM. The results show that the introduction of alcohol during impregnation promotes Ni2+ species into the channels of MCM-41, thereby strengthening the meatal-support interaction. Besides, the presence of alcohol decreases the particle size of Nickel and increases the surface adsorbed oxygen species over the surface of the support, thus promoting the coke resistance of the catalysts. As a consequence, NM-EG shows the highest catalytic performance, the highest stability, and the best coke resistance in all of the catalysts. This indicates that the main factor influencing the catalytic performance and coke resistance of the catalysts is the number of hydroxyl groups rather than the chain length of the introduced alcohol in the alcohol-promoted impregnation.

Synthesis and characterization of MCM-41–SBA-15 mixed-phase silica with trimodal mesoporous system and thick pore wall

The ability to design the porosity of silicas, both their pore size and their wall surface, is a concern of industrial interest. Pore structure is an important parameter that determines the performance of several processes, where the surface and accessibility are vital. In this work, a MCM-41–SBA-15 mixed-phase silica (MPS) with trimodal mesoporous system and thick pore wall was synthesized by a two-step template route. For this purpose, the gel solution of a bimodal MCM-41 silica was modified by the addition of a SBA-15 template before aging stage. Low-angle XRD results confirmed that the mixed-phase silica contained a combination of both MCM-41 and SBA-15 pore structures. TEM images showed that SBA-15 structure seemed to be located on the outside of MPS particles, while MCM-41 channels were located inside. Through this synthesis route not only the wall thickness of the starting silicas was increased, but also their pores sizes were preserved in the mixed-phase silica. MPS silica was further evaluated as support for the co-catalyzed ethylene polymerization under slurry phase. The trimodal pore system and thick pore wall provided a higher catalytic activity than the individual SBA-15 and MCM-41, demonstrating the advantage of the two-step synthesis strategy conducted herein.

Comparison in thermal stability and catalytic performance of H4PMo11VO40 heteropolyacid supported on mesoporous and macroporous silica materials

Ordered mesoporous silica, SBA-15 and MCM-41, and three-dimensionally ordered macroporous SiO2 were used as the supports of H4PMo11VO40 heteropolyacid for methacrolein oxidation. The dispersion and structural evolutions of the heteropolyacid along with thermal treatment were investigated. It was found that the heteropolyacid entered the one-dimensional mesoporous channels of SBA-15 and MCM-41, and the crystallization and growth were limited, leading to high dispersion of the heteropolyacid. However, the thermal stability was decreased under high dispersion. The migration of the heteropolyacid was observed to the end of the one-dimensional channels of SBA-15 and the outer surface of MCM-41 with calcination, accompanied by the decomposition of the heteropolyacid and the formation of MoO3. In comparison, the crystallization and growth of heteropolyacid were not limited in the open macropores of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous SiO2. Dispersed particles on the surface of the macropores with size of about 5 nm exhibited a higher thermal stability. The decomposition of the heteropolyacid in the SBA-15 and MCM-41 supported catalysts resulted in the loss of strong acid sites, causing low selectivity to methacrylic acid in methacrolein oxidation. High thermal stability with high exposure of the active sites in the three-dimensionally ordered macroporous SiO2 supported catalyst contributed to the enhancement in the catalytic performance.

L-cysteine complex of palladium onto mesoporous channels of MCM-41 as reusable, homoselective and organic–inorganic hybrid nanocatalyst for the synthesis of tetrazoles

In this study, ordered structure with a hexagonal arrangement MCM-41 was synthesized and functionalized with L-cysteine group and further palladium particles has been supported on its surface (L-cysteine-Pd@MCM-41). The prepared catalyst is well characterized by various techniques such as low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption–desorption measurement isotherms, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Mapping (WDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques. The collected data from all techniques provided evidence that palladium complex was immobilized onto MCM-41 pores. The obtained nanocatalyst demonstrated excellent activity as a new heterogeneous catalyst for the homoselective synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives. This method has the advantages of simple methodology, eco-friendly and simplicity in the separation of catalyst, shorter reaction times, and high yields of the product. Finally, easy catalyst recovery was achieved and the catalyst could be recycled for six times without a significant decrease in activity and selectivity.

Application of Cu (II)-Guanine Complexes Anchored on SBA-15 and MCM-41 as Efficient Nanocatalysts for One-Pot, Four-Component Domino Synthesis of Phenazine Derivatives and Investigation of Their Antimicrobial Behavior

A one-pot, two-step, four-component synthesis of benzo[c]pyrano[3,2-a]phenazine and bis-benzo[c]pyrano[3,2-a]phenazine derivatives was carried out by the reaction of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, benzene-1,2-diamine, carbonyl compounds and alkylmalonates using new copper (II) ions complexes of guanine (2-amino-1H-purin-6(9H)-one) supported into MCM-41 (Cu-guanine-MCM-41) and SBA-15 (Cu-guanine-SBA-15) channels as efficient and heterogeneous catalysts in PEG. The desired products were obtained in good to excellent yields. The prepared catalysts have been extensively characterized by different methods and can be reused for several times without any significant loss of their catalytic activities. The phenazine derivatives were also tested for their antimicrobial activities.

Exploiting quasi-one-dimensional confinement for proficient hydrogen production from formic acid at room temperature

We describe herein that the quasi-one-dimensional confinement effect of functionalized nanoporous supports is particularly advantageous for boosting formic acid (FA) dehydrogenation efficiency over palladium nanoparticles (NPs). Benefiting from their unique structural merits that lead to significant lowering of the entropic barrier for FA activation, the Pd NPs interiorly located on the amino-modified MCM-41 offer the promise of more than an order of magnitude speedup of the initial activity in H 2 production from FA over their exterior analogs. Under mild and additive-free conditions, ultrafine Pd NPs confined in amino-modified MCM-41 channels exhibit an initial turnover frequency as high as 46,677 h −1 and a turnover number up to 1,060,000 at 60°C. In conjunction with the enhancement and robust performance for efficient regeneration of FA via CO 2 hydrogenation, the presented approach greatly contributes to the development of FA-based hydrogen storage and related technologies as viable means of enabling sustainable future energy prospects. The Pd NPs interiorly located on the amino-modified MCM-41 significantly lowered the entropic barrier for FA activation and enhanced the initial activity in H 2 production over other analogs.

Catalytic Activity of Ag-Co-MCM-41 for Liquid-Phase Selective Oxidation of Styrene to Benzaldehyde.

A series of Ag-Co-MCM-41 with different metal loadings have been synthesized through the hydrothermal method. All the prepared catalysts were characterized by N₂ adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the structure of MCM-41 was well preserved and Ag and Co have been introduced successfully into the mesoporous channels of MCM-41. The liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of styrene on these catalysts was investigated using H₂O₂ as an oxidizing agent and acetone as a solvent in thermostatic water bath. The influence of metal loading, the catalyst dose, temperature, time and styrene/oxidant molar ratio on the conversion of styrene and yield and selectivity of benzaldehyde was investigated. Also, the reusability of the catalysts was evaluated.

Low‐Spin‐State Hematite with Superior Adsorption of Anionic Contaminations for Water Purification

Hematite attracts intensive interest as an adsorbent for water purification, but the oversized dimension and inherent high-spin Fe(III) restrict its adsorption capability and kinetics. Herein a spatial-confinement strategy is reported that synthesizes ultrafine α-Fe2 O3 benefiting from nanogrids constructed by predeposition of TiO2 nanodots in the MCM-41 channel, and that tunes the spin-state of Fe(III) from high-spin to low-spin induced by the strong guest-host interaction between the ultrafine Fe2 O3 with SiO2 (MCM-41). The low-spin Fe(III) endorses strong bonding with anionic adsorbates, and significantly facilitates the electrons transfer from Fe2 O3 to SiO2 to form a highly positive charged surface, and thereby shows superior electrostatic multilayer adsorption performance to different kinds of anionic contaminations. Specifically, the maximum uptake, adsorption rate, and distribution coefficient (Kd ) for Rose Bengal dye reach as high as 1810 mg g-1 , 1644 g (g min)-1 , and 2.2 × 106 L kg-1 , which are more than 8, 230, and 3700 times higher than those of commercial activated carbon, respectively. It also shows outstanding purification performance for real field water. It is demonstrated that a strong guest-host interaction can alter the spin-state of transition metal oxides, which may pave a new way to improve their performance in adsorption and other applications like catalysis.

Facile immobilization of Ni nanoparticles into mesoporous MCM-41 channels for efficient methane dry reforming

Development of dry reforming of methane and carbon dioxide is an effective route to convert in-dustrial waste gases such as coke-oven gas and coal-to-oil gas into platform syngas. However, this process encounters severe problems of metal particle sintering and coke formation at high tem-peratures. In this work, we developed a new synthetic method for preparing confined Ni/MCM-41 catalysts, which impede the sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and coke deposition at high temperatures, enabling them to be successfully applied to methane dry reforming. The method results in high activity and stability of the catalyst at 700 °C for 200 h. The Ni precursor is immersed in ethanol and impregnated into MCM-41 by the peculiar capillary action of hexagonal straight mesopores. By this method, 10 wt% Ni NPs (d = 2 nm) is equably confined to the mesoporous channels with strong metal-support interactions, as confirmed by HRTEM, TEM mapping, H2-TPR, and XRD measurements. Such a confined structure has a significant effect on the inhibition of metal NP agglomeration and carbon deposition during methane dry reforming, as evidenced by TEM, Raman, TGA, and TPO measurements of used Ni/MCM-41 catalysts. In contrast, unconfined Ni/MCM-41 catalysts, with Ni NPs located on the pore exteriors, are rapidly deactivated after 12 h due to the blocked contact between the active metal centers and the gas feedstock. Additionally, a fast increase in the Ni NP size and the formation of substantial carbon nanotubes on the unconfined catalyst surface are seen. This work offers a facile approach for the synthesis of anti-sintering, car-bon-resistant confined Ni catalysts that can operate at high temperatures The developed encapsulated Ni/MCM-41 catalyst highly rendered metal sintering and carbon deposition at 700 °C and exhibited long-term (200 h) high activity for DRM.

The Role of Active Sites Location in Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas for MCM-41 Supported Ni Nanoparticles

The supporting modes of active metal over mesoporous materials play an important role in catalytic performance. The location of Ni nanoparticles inside or outside the mesoporous channel of MCM-41 has a significant influence on the reactivity in partial oxidation of methane to syngas reaction. The characterization data using different techniques (Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, H2 Temperature-Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)) indicated that nickel was located outside the mesoporous channels for the impregnation method (Ni/MCM-41), while nickel was encapsulated within MCM-41 via the one-step hydrothermal crystallization method (Ni-MCM-41). The nickel atoms were mainly dispersed predominantly inside the skeleton of zeolite. When the load amount of Ni increased, both of Ni species inside the skeleton or pore channel of zeolite increased, and the ordered structure of MCM-41 was destroyed gradually. Contributed by the strong interaction with MCM-41, the Ni particles of Ni-MCM-41 were highly dispersed with smaller particle size compared with supported Ni/MCM-41 catalyst. The Ni-MCM-41 displayed higher catalytic performance than Ni/MCM-41, especially 10% Ni-MCM-41 due to high dispersity of Ni. The confinement effect of MCM-41 zeolite also afforded high resistance of sintering and coking for 10% Ni-MCM-41 catalyst. Especially, 10% Ni-MCM-41 catalyst showed outstanding catalytic stability.

Effect of CoMo/HSO3-functionalized MCM-41 over Heavy Oil

The potential of Co-Mo metals supported on functionalized MCM-41 as catalyst to hydrodesulfurization of heavy oil has been explored in this work. The MCM-41 functionalized sample was synthesized according to methods previously reported in the literature. Co and Mo metals were incorporated into the support by simultaneous impregnation. The catalyst was characterized by specific Surface area and X-Ray Diffraction. The pore channel of MCM-41 was confirmedby transmission electronic microscopy and infra red spectroscopy. Catalytic activity tests were carried out using heavy oil from Gulf of Mexico. The API gravity was increased from 12.5 to 20.2, the kinematics viscosity was decreased from 18,700 to 110 cSt at 298 K, the contents of asphaltene and sulfur were also reduced.