摘要:
The present invention relates to the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous fluorescent silica nanoparticles as well as their application as tracers for subsurface formation characterization. The nanoparticles comprise a mesoporous silica structure, one or more fluorescent agents, and adhered zwitterionic functional groups. The nanoparticles are used for subterranean characterization in a process including: i. injecting one or more fluorescently distinct nanoparticles into one or more discrete subterranean regions, wherein each fluorescently distinct nanoparticle comprises: a silica structure; one or more fluorescent agents embedded within the silica structure; and a plurality of polymeric zwitterionic functional groups adhered to the silica structure; and ii. detecting fluorescence data of the one or more fluorescently distinct nanoparticles in a produced fluid, wherein the produced fluid comprises the injected fluid and a formation fluid from one or multiple subterranean regions.