Water soluble anionic metal-organic cages as cation capture species for scale reduction

1 . A method for scale treatment comprising:

providing a treatment fluid comprising:

metal-organic cages, wherein each metal-organic cage comprises a single pore; and

a base fluid;

contacting an inorganic scale with the treatment fluid; and

dissolving at least a portion of the inorganic scale through capture and sequestration of cationic components of the inorganic scale in pores of the metal-organic cages in the treatment fluid.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages each comprises an organic ligand and a metal node.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages each comprises at least one organic ligand selected from the group consisting of benzenedicarboxylic acid, benzenetricarboxylic acid, imidazole, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 1,3,5-tri(4carboxyphenyl)benzene, 4,5-imidazoledicarboxylic acid, pamoic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, glutamic acid, 2,5-dimercapto-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic, 2,2′-Bipyridine-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid, Biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, 2-methylimidazole, 4-tert-Butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene, ethylenediamine, 2-aminoterephthalic acid, 2-mercaptoterephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 5-nitroisophthalic acid, 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid, 3,7-di(p-carboxylic)-N-(p-phenylcarboxylic)-phenothiazine, 4,4′-Azobenzene dicarboxylic acid, 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid, 4-sulfonylcalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate, and any combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages each comprises at least one metal node selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Pt, Re, Os, Ir, Ca, Mg, Al, In, Sn, Bi, La, Ce, and any combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages are present in the treatment fluid in an amount from about 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % by weight.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages are present in the treatment fluid in an amount from about 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % by weight.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages comprise organic ligands in an amount from 85 wt % to 95 wt % by weight and metal nodes in an amount from 5 wt % to 15 wt % by weight.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages have surface areas from 500 m 2 /g to 1,000 m 2 /g and cavities from 4 angstroms to 15 angstroms.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base fluid comprises at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of water, methanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, and acetone.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic cages comprise functional groups on their surfaces comprising at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a carboxylate, a phosphonate, a sulfonate, and a metal-oxo specie that are added to either an organic ligand or capped onto a metal node.

11 . A method for scale treatment comprising:

providing a treatment fluid comprising:

a base fluid and metal-organic cages, wherein each metal-organic cage comprises a single pore;

introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore; and

contacting an inorganic scale with the treatment fluid to dissolve at least a portion of the inorganic scale through capture and sequestration of cationic components of the inorganic scale in pores of the metal-organic cages with the treatment fluid.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages each comprises an organic ligand and a metal node.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages each comprises at least one organic ligand selected from the group consisting of benzenedicarboxylic acid, benzenetricarboxylic acid, imidazole, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 1,3,5-tri(4carboxyphenyl)benzene, 4,5-imidazoledicarboxylic acid, Pamoic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, glutamic acid, 2,5-dimercapto-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic, 2,2′-Bipyridine-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid, Biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, 2-methylimidazole, 4-tert-Butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene, ethylenediamine, 2-aminoterephthalic acid, 2-mercaptoterephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 5-nitroisophthalic acid, 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid, 3,7-di(p-carboxylic)-N-(p-phenylcarboxylic)-phenothiazine, 4,4′-Azobenzene dicarboxylic acid, 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid, 4-sulfonylcalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate, and any combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein metal organic cages each comprises at least one metal node selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Pt, Re, Os, Ir, Ca, Mg, Al, In, Sn, Bi, La, Ce, and any combination thereof.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages are present in the treatment fluid in an amount of about 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % by weight.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages comprise organic ligands in an amount from 85 wt % to 95 wt % by weight and metal nodes in an amount from 5 wt % to 15 wt % by weight.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages have surface areas from 500 m 2 /g to 1,000 m 2 /g and cavities from 4 angstroms to 15 angstroms.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the base fluid comprises at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of water, methanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, and acetone.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-organic cages comprise functional groups on their surfaces comprising at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a carboxylate, a phosphonate, a sulfonate, or a metal-oxo specie that are added to either an organic ligand or capped onto a metal node.