Recent advances in molecular mechanisms of gas hydrate growth

Abstract

As crystalline solids formed from water and gas molecules, gas hydrates have drawn considerable attention not only because of their wide distribution as potential energy resources, but also because they have great industrial application prospects. How to efficiently generate stable gas hydrates or inhibit hydrate formation is a crucial scientific challenge encountered in hydrate utilization and the oil and gas industry. Understanding the molecular mechanism of gas hydrate formation is essential to address these issues. Molecular simulation plays a superior role in elucidating molecular details compared to experiments due to its high temporal and spatial resolution. This highlight article provides an overview of the current state of the art for molecular mechanisms of gas hydrate growth. Firstly, the gas hydrate growth process and the related molecular mechanisms are discussed to gain insight into the controlling mechanism of gas hydrate growth. This is followed by a description of the performance of thermodynamic or kinetic promoters in hydrate growth and their underlying mechanism. Subsequently, the impact of thermodynamic or kinetic inhibitors on hydrate growth is then discussed. Finally, the challenges, limitations, and future opportunities for the study of gas hydrate growth are discussed.