A 2015 study used atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) to inspect more than 150 individual asphaltene molecules. Most of the molecules observed had an “island” architecture: one central aromatic core surrounded by alkyl side chains. A smaller set showed aromatic regions connected in an “archipelago” arrangement. The result is a finding about the studied sample, not a claim that every asphaltene molecule in every crude oil has the same shape.
What the 2015 study established
Asphaltenes are a complex mixture of hydrocarbons found in crude oil. They are not one pure compound with one fixed molecular formula. Their components can associate with one another in solution, and conventional measurements often combine signals from many different species. That averaging makes it difficult to determine the size, mass and architecture of individual molecules.
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The team reported by Chemistry World examined more than 150 individual molecules rather than relying only on an ensemble measurement. In the observed set, the dominant arrangement was an aromatic region forming one central core with alkyl chains around its perimeter. This is commonly called the island model. Some molecules instead contained separate aromatic regions connected by chains or by single bonds, a pattern associated with the archipelago model.
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Why asphaltene make-up has been difficult to resolve
Asphaltene samples contain many related hydrocarbon structures. In a liquid, molecules may associate, changing the signal measured by a technique that observes a large population at once. A bulk spectrum can therefore indicate the kinds of chemical groups present without showing how those groups are arranged in each molecule.
Chemistry World quoted Bruno Schuler, identified as a member of the IBM Research team, saying: “Current knowledge about this material is quite limited and even some of the basic properties of the molecules in asphaltenes, such as their size, weight and architecture, have been under debate for years.”
Imaging isolated molecules offers a different kind of evidence. Instead of inferring one average structure from a mixture, researchers can compare the shapes and bonding patterns of many separate molecules and record how often different motifs appear in the observed set.
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How the AFM and STM experiment worked
The procedure was specialized and did not involve placing a spoonful of liquid crude oil under an ordinary microscope. The researchers started with solid asphaltene material and used a vacuum-based deposition and imaging sequence:
- Prepare the solid sample. The asphaltene material was placed in an ultrahigh-vacuum instrument.
- Heat the sample under ultrahigh vacuum at low temperature. Under those controlled conditions, individual molecules detached from the solid.
- Deposit the molecules on a substrate. The detached molecules landed on a surface where they could be examined separately.
- Image the molecular structure with AFM. Atomic force microscopy supplied information about the molecule’s atomic arrangement and topographic structure.
- Measure electronic information with STM. Scanning tunnelling microscopy added information about the shape of the molecule’s orbitals, helping researchers interpret how aromatic regions were organized.
- Compare many molecules. The team characterized more than 150 individual molecules and looked for recurring structural patterns.
AFM and STM therefore played complementary roles. AFM addressed the physical atomic framework, while STM contributed an electronic or orbital-shape view. Reading the two measurements together helped distinguish a single fused aromatic core from separate aromatic regions connected elsewhere in the molecule.
This workflow also explains why the result should be read as a carefully prepared surface experiment. The molecules were first separated from a solid sample, then deposited and stabilized on a substrate in vacuum. The images show those isolated, deposited molecules under the microscope’s measurement conditions. They do not show the same molecules moving through a reservoir, a pipeline or a refinery stream.
Island and archipelago models compared
| Model | Aromatic arrangement | Connections and side chains | What the 2015 observations showed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island | Polycyclic aromatic rings are fused into one dominant central core. | Alkyl chains extend around the outside of the aromatic core. | This was the dominant architecture among the molecules characterized. |
| Archipelago | A molecule contains more than one aromatic region rather than one continuous fused core. | The aromatic regions can be connected by alkyl chains or, in the reported cases, by single bonds. | Some observed molecules displayed connections compatible with this arrangement. |
What “island” means here
In the island picture, the aromatic rings form one connected, relatively rigid center. Alkyl chains sit at the edge of that center. The name describes the relationship between the aromatic core and its peripheral hydrocarbon chains; it does not mean that the molecule is a literal island-shaped particle.
What “archipelago” means here
The archipelago picture treats the aromatic content as several regions in one molecule. Those regions may be joined by flexible hydrocarbon chains or by single chemical bonds. Because the regions are not necessarily fused into one uninterrupted aromatic core, the overall molecule can have a different shape and flexibility from an island-type structure.
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Why the two labels are not absolute categories
Island and archipelago are structural models used to describe recurring arrangements. Real asphaltene mixtures can contain molecules with different sizes, numbers of aromatic regions and side-chain patterns. The study’s finding that island structures dominated its observed sample does not eliminate archipelago molecules or settle how the balance changes between crude oils.
The labels are therefore best treated as shorthand for connectivity. They help readers ask whether the aromatic rings form one fused domain or several domains joined together. They do not by themselves specify every side chain, heteroatom, molecular weight or three-dimensional conformation in an asphaltene molecule.
What each microscope contributed
| Technique | Information supplied in the study | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic force microscopy (AFM) | Atomic-scale structural and topographic information. | Made the physical arrangement of atoms and aromatic frameworks directly visible for individual molecules. |
| Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) | Information about molecular-orbital shape. | Added an electronic-structure view that helped distinguish how aromatic regions were connected. |
Neither technique, by itself, turns a heterogeneous crude-oil fraction into a single formula. Their value was the combination of structural and orbital information on isolated molecules, followed by comparison across a large set of individually observed examples.
AFM and STM also answer different kinds of questions. A topographic image can reveal where parts of a molecule sit on the surface and how a framework is laid out. An orbital-sensitive STM image can add contrast related to the molecule’s electronic states. Agreement between the physical and electronic views gives more confidence when investigators assign a fused core or a connection between separate aromatic regions.
That complementarity is important for mixtures. If only a bulk signal were available, a feature could represent an average over many molecules. With individual images, a recurring shape can be compared molecule by molecule, while unusual arrangements remain visible instead of being absorbed into an average.
What can be learned from more than 150 molecules
The count of more than 150 is large enough to demonstrate that the team was not describing a single striking image. It allowed the investigators to look for repeated architectures and to recognize that both island-like and archipelago-like examples occurred in the prepared sample.
At the same time, 150-plus observations are not a census of all asphaltenes. The molecules came from the material selected for the experiment, and the preparation and deposition steps define which molecules were available to image. The number should therefore be used to describe the scale of the reported measurement, not to calculate a universal fraction of island molecules.
A careful reading separates three statements: individual molecules can be imaged; recurring architectures can be compared across many images; and the island arrangement was dominant in this particular observed set. Only the first two support broader methodological conclusions. The third remains tied to the sample and study conditions.
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Why the result matters for petroleum science
Asphaltenes influence crude-oil behavior relevant to production, transport and refining. A better molecular description could eventually improve models of how crude behaves in a reservoir, in pipelines or during processing. It could also help researchers reason about how asphaltene-rich material responds to changes in pressure, solvent composition or other operating conditions.
Those are potential applications, not results demonstrated by the imaging experiment. Leo Gross, identified by Chemistry World as Schuler’s IBM Research co-worker, said: “This type of fundamental study could help to improve upstream and downstream oil production and enhanced oil recovery from first principles from a basic understanding of molecular models.” The wording is prospective: the study supplied molecular information that might support better models; it did not test an oil-field intervention or report an improvement in recovery.
The industrial interest extends beyond petroleum modelling. Douglas Kushnerick of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering told the publication: “This work shows a direct observation of the chemical structures in a complex mixture of organic molecules, with an amazing clarity that we have not seen before. There are many relevant industrial chemistry problems that might be addressed if we could ultimately identify structures efficiently.” His comment points to the broader analytical significance of being able to inspect individual molecules in a chemically complex mixture.
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Reservoir and process models need assumptions about what kinds of molecules are present and how they associate. If a model treats every asphaltene as one identical species, it cannot represent a mixture containing multiple aromatic arrangements. Direct observations such as these can provide realistic structural examples for testing such assumptions.
An island-rich sample might be represented differently from a sample containing many archipelago-like molecules because fused aromatic cores and linked aromatic regions can imply different shapes and degrees of flexibility. The imaging result does not supply all the parameters a production model would need, but it can help define which molecular pictures are plausible starting points.
Any operational benefit would require additional steps: comparing samples from different crude oils, connecting structures with measured bulk behavior, and testing predictions in reservoir, transport or refining conditions. None of those performance tests was reported in the 2015 imaging account, so claims about improved recovery or changed plant operation go beyond the evidence.
Questions the experiment can and cannot answer
The images address architecture at the level of individual deposited molecules. They do not by themselves establish how much of each structure exists in every crude oil, how rapidly molecules associate in a liquid, or which arrangement controls a particular field problem. They also do not replace bulk measurements; ensemble methods remain useful for composition and behavior, while single-molecule imaging supplies a structural view that averages can miss.
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Likewise, “aromatic core” is a description of the ring-rich part of the molecule, not a complete inventory of every atom. The report focuses on whether aromatic regions are fused or linked and on the presence of peripheral alkyl chains. It does not provide a universal molecular formula, a single molecular weight or a complete distribution of side-chain lengths.
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What the experiment does not show
- It is not a universal census of asphaltenes. More than 150 molecules were characterized, but that count describes the experiment and is not a prevalence estimate for all crude oils.
- It is not an in-situ image of crude oil in a reservoir. Molecules were detached from a solid sample under ultrahigh vacuum and deposited on a substrate before imaging.
- It does not provide a single molecular formula for the fraction. The result concerns architecture and connectivity across observed molecules, not a claim that all asphaltenes share one composition.
- It does not prove an operational gain. Improved reservoir models, production, refining or enhanced oil recovery were described as possible long-term uses, not outcomes measured in the experiment.
- It does not make the archipelago model disappear. Some of the molecules examined showed aromatic regions connected in ways associated with that model.
- It does not show that sample handling is irrelevant. Heating, ultrahigh vacuum, deposition and the surface environment are part of the measurement context.
- It does not rank one model as correct for every crude oil. The observed predominance applies to the reported sample and cannot be converted into a universal rule.
These limits are especially important when interpreting the word “dominant.” The study reported a pattern in its prepared sample and imaging set. Sample preparation, deposition and the chemical origin of the asphaltenes all form part of the context in which that pattern was observed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the headline accurately
“AFM takes first step to unravel asphaltene make-up” describes a methodological advance rather than a final answer. AFM and STM made it possible to inspect individual members of a notoriously complex mixture and to compare their architectures directly. The central observation was a predominance of island-like molecules, alongside identifiable archipelago-like examples.
The work therefore narrows an important uncertainty without removing the mixture’s complexity. It supports molecular models that include a dominant fused aromatic core with peripheral alkyl chains for the measured sample, while retaining alternative architectures where the images showed them. Further conclusions about other crude oils, broader distributions or industrial performance require evidence beyond this 2015 imaging report.
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The report was written by Simon Hadlington for Chemistry World and published on 11 August 2015. It cites B. Schuler and colleagues, “Journal of the American Chemical Society” (2015), DOI 10.1021/jacs.5b04056. The finding discussed here is tied to that 2015 study and to the molecules examined in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are asphaltenes made of?
They are a complex mixture of hydrocarbon molecules in crude oil, with varied aromatic regions and alkyl chains. They do not share one fixed formula or one universal architecture.
What did AFM reveal about the molecules?
AFM supplied atomic-scale structural and topographic information for individually deposited molecules. In the reported sample, many showed one fused aromatic core with alkyl chains around it.
What did STM add?
STM provided information about molecular-orbital shape. Combined with AFM, that electronic view helped researchers interpret whether aromatic regions formed one core or were connected as separate regions.
Are asphaltenes islands or archipelagos?
The 2015 observations included both. Island-like structures were dominant among the more than 150 molecules characterized, while some molecules had archipelago-like aromatic regions linked by chains or single bonds.
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How can individual molecules be imaged from crude oil?
The team began with solid asphaltene material, heated it under ultrahigh vacuum at low temperature so molecules detached, deposited them on a substrate and then examined them with AFM and STM.
Does more than 150 molecules mean most asphaltenes everywhere are islands?
No. The number describes the molecules characterized in this experiment. It is not a percentage for all crude oils, reservoirs or processing conditions.
Did the study prove better oil recovery?
No. Better production, refining models and enhanced oil recovery were presented as possible long-term applications of improved molecular understanding, not as outcomes tested by the imaging experiment.
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Why do the island and archipelago distinction matter?
The two models describe different connectivity: one fused aromatic domain with peripheral chains versus multiple aromatic regions joined together. Distinguishing them gives petroleum models more realistic structural options.
Is this an image of asphaltenes inside a reservoir?
No. The molecules were detached from a solid sample and deposited on a substrate in ultrahigh vacuum before imaging. The experiment was not an in-situ reservoir observation.
What is the study’s date and reference?
The finding was reported by Chemistry World on 11 August 2015, citing B. Schuler and colleagues in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2015), DOI 10.1021/jacs.5b04056.
The Bottom Line
The 2015 AFM–STM study gave asphaltene chemistry a direct single-molecule view. Among more than 150 molecules examined, island-like structures with one aromatic core and peripheral alkyl chains were most common, while archipelago-like structures also appeared. That is a significant structural clue, not a universal census or proof of improved oil-field performance.
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