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Both petroleum and coal derived asphaltene finds important place on the present research areas of hydrocarbon based liquid and solid fuels. It has earned a name of ‘unwanted’ fame for its deleterious impacts arising mainly due to its self aggregational phenomenon. Over the period of time the asphaltene aggregation has been seriously investigated worldwide even at the molecular scale. Besides several methods, the spectroscopic findings (UV Vis and Fluorescence), in this regard, contribute to substantial meaningful data. The major spectroscopic researches on the aggregation of asphaltene over the last ten years have been reviewed in this present study. A brief discussion on the asphaltene molecular structure and molecular weight also comes as a prelude. Asphaltenes derived from both petroleum and coal have been considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steady state fluorescence spectroscopic technique has been used to investigate the aggregation of coal derived asphaltene (CDA) sourced from Lodna Coke Plant situated at Dhanbad, India. The emission spectra of CDA provide information regarding the various stages of onset of aggregation in carbon tetrachloride medium. Almost similar results have also been inferred from the analysis of corresponding excitation spectra. It has been observed that the onset of aggregation of CDA occurs at concentration beyond a concentration of 10 mg L −1 . Studies indicate the formation of a trimer at this concentration range. The association constant ( K ) for the trimer formation has also been evaluated from the spectroscopic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By fluorescence spectroscopy it has been established that coal derived asphaltene (CDA) forms aggregates in CCl4medium. The new feature of this compound is that even before aggregate formation it can incorporate water molecules and the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) in nonaqueous medium increases with increase in ω (= water:CDA mole ratio). The fluorescence spectroscopic determination of the equilibrium constant (K) of the molecular complex of [60] fullerenes with CDA in carbon tetrachloride medium has revealed thatKincreases on addition of microquantities of water. This observation has been rationalized by assuming that the nitrogenatoms at one end of CDA molecules attach themselves to the water micropool and thus producing a different conformation with a wider distance at the other end. This pre-organization further facilitates inclusion. By utilizing fluorescence variation of [60]fullerene/CDA complex in CCl4as continuous medium with change in ω a critical ω (=5) has been found. The formation of CDA/[60]fullerene complex has also been established by NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]