Computer simulation of asphaltenes

Abstract

The review describes theoretical approaches based on computer simulations at various levels of details (from quantum chemical calculations to atomistic and coarse-grained models) to study asphaltenes and systems containing asphaltenes. The used methods are described, their advantages and disadvantages are discussed in terms of computational costs and time- and spatial-scales available for simulations. The results of studies of the asphaltenes interactions with each other and their aggregation behavior in low-molecular solvents are presented. The most promising approaches of computer simulations of asphaltenes-based systems are determined