Amphiphilic asphaltene ionic liquids as demulsifiers for heavy petroleum crude oil-water emulsions

A method of demulsifying a petroleum crude oil-water emulsion, comprising

• combining a first petroleum crude oil-water emulsion with a quantity of an amphiphilic asphaltene ionic liquid sufficient to demulsify the first petroleum crude oil-water emulsion,
• wherein the amphililic asphaltene ionic liquid is or comprises an asphaltene quaternary alkylaminopyridinium cation with one or more different organic anionic salts, and
• wherein the amphililic asphaltene ionic liquid is made by either
• a) oxidizing one or more alkyl chains on a periphery of asphaltene molecules to form asphaltene carboxylic acids (ACA),
• converting carboxylic acid groups to acid chlorides forming asphaltene acid chlorides (As—COCl), and
• reacting the As—COCl with one or more quaternized ethoxylated alkyl pyridinium salts,
• or
• b) reacting the asphaltene with malic anhydride to form asphaltene malic anhydride adducts (AMA) which have one or more carboxylic acids on a periphery of the AMA molecules,
• converting carboxylic acid groups to acid chlorides forming asphaltene acid chlorides (As—COCl), and
• reacting the As—COCl with one or more quaternized ethoxylated alkyl pyridinium salts,
• or
• c) reacting the asphaltene with malic anhydride to form asphaltene malic anhydride adducts (AMA) which have one or more carboxylic acids on a periphery of the AMA molecules, and
• reacting the AMA molecules with one or more quaternized ethoxylated alkyl pyridinium salts.