Enzyme-based bionanofluids for chemical enhanced oil recovery processes

Zapata K. Viveros F. Carrasco-Marín F. Ocampo-Pérez R. Chacón-Patiño M.L. Lerner B. Pérez M. Riazi M. Lucas E.F. Taborda E. Franco C.A. Cortés F.B.
1 September 2025 American Institute of Physics

Physics of Fluids
2025 #37 Issue 9

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies are not integrated into the agro-sustainable landscape of the countries. This proposal aims to isolate lipases from agro-waste and improve them through nanotechnology for EOR processes. For this, lipase extracts were obtained from sunflower and melon seeds. Simultaneously, acidic (SiO₂), neutral (Al₂O₃), and basic (MgO) nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and used for the enhancement of the lipase EOR activity. To evaluate the formulations, static performance, and dynamic tests were carried out. The results corroborated the obtaining of nanoparticles acidic, neutral and basic, thermostable, in the nanometric regime. Performance tests revealed a positive effect when adding lipases (2 mg/L) and MgO nanoparticles (100 mg/L) to water (bionanofluids), improving their capillary number by up to 2281%. Microfluidic tests revealed an increase in recovery factor of up to 2.2 times using bionanofluids compared to using water. Lipases tend to be activated at the interface of dual polarity systems, which would explain their capillary properties. Likewise, the inclusion of MgO nanoparticles increases the density of lipase macromolecules (10¹⁷ lipases molecules per g of nanoparticle) that can lodge at the interface functioning as a carrier. The nanocomposite was stabilized by electrostatic interactions associated with surface charge potentials. This proposal marks a significant advance in the extraction of enzymes from revalued agro-industrial waste, as well as its application in the energy sector, prioritizing initiatives to generate cleaner and more sustainable exploitation.

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Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie — Michael Polanyi, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín, 050034, Colombia
Materiales Polifuncionales Basados en Carbono (UGR-Carbon), Departamento Química Inorgánica, Unidad de Excelencia Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente, Universidad de Granada (UEQ-UGR), Granada, ES18071, Spain
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma San Luis de Potosí, San Luis Potosí, CP 78210, Mexico
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, 32310, FL, United States
Special Coatings and Nanostructures Engineering (IREN), National Technological University, Buenos Aires, 1706, Argentina
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, 33174, FL, United States
Collaborative Research Institute Intelligent Oncology (CRIION), Hermann-Herder-Straße 4, Freiburg im Breisgau, 79104, Germany
School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
COPPE, Programa de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Horácio Macedo, 2030, bloco F, RJ, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-598, Brazil
Instituto de Macromoléculas, Laboratório de Macromoléculas e Colóides na Indústria de Petróleo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Moniz Aragño, 360 bloco 8G/CT2, RJ, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-594, Brazil

Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie — Michael Polanyi
Materiales Polifuncionales Basados en Carbono (UGR-Carbon)
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Special Coatings and Nanostructures Engineering (IREN)
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Collaborative Research Institute Intelligent Oncology (CRIION)
School of Mining and Geosciences
COPPE
Instituto de Macromoléculas

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