对煤和干酪根结构的认识得益于技术和方法的不断创新。基于各种方法,先后建立了多个煤和干酪根的结构模型,但至今没有得到普遍认可。原子力显微镜(AFM)可以实时、实空间、原位成像,可以观察单个原子层的局部表面结构,直接观察表面缺陷、表面重构、表面吸附体的形态和位置以及表面扩散等动态过程。在对图像的分析中,AFM超越了传统仪器单纯平面成像的功能,可提供样品表面动态三维图像和用于分析的定量化信息。通过纳米技术,实现了原子级的分辨率的观察,揭示了煤和干酪根聚集态分子和纳米级孔隙的形态、大小、结构及相互间的空间排列特征,显示出在煤和干酪根结构研究中的巨大潜力。纳米技术为煤和干酪根结构的基础研究工作拓展了新的途径,也为非常规油气的勘探开发和煤炭的二次转化研究提供了科学依据。
The research of structure of coal and kerogen is enhanced by innovation of technology and methodology.From early chemical depolymerization to physical method and then to computer aided molecular modeling,many structural models of coal and kerogen are built up.However,no structural model is widely accepted as the heterogeneity and structural complexity of coal and kerogen enhance the difficulty to illustrate their physical and chemical structure.Nanotechnology greatly promotes the research and knowledge of structure of coal and kerogen.Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM) is a representative example.As result of real-time,real-space,in-situ imaging and ability to partly observe surface structure of single molecular layer,AFM can directly observe the morphology and position of surface defect,surface reconstruction and surface adsorbate and even dynamic process such as surface diffusion.AFM surpasses conventional 2D plane imaging and provides 3D dynamic images and quantitative information.Realizing atomic level resolution and revealing the morphology,size,structure and spatial arrangement of molecular aggregates and nanopores of coal and kerogen,nanotechnology shows great potential in structural research of coal and kerogen.Nanotechnology provides new approaches for basic research of coal and kerogen and supports exploration and exploitation of unconventional oil and gas and research of coal secondary transformation with scientific evidence.