In this work, variations of heavy oil asphaltenes’ oxidation reactions under different conditions were investigated. By IR spectroscopy was shown a predominant destruction of occluded and adsorbed compounds in asphaltenes when using KIO₃ and NaIO₄ as oxidizing agents. In the case of CH₃COOH/H₂O₂ and KMnO₄ was determined the destruction of asphaltenes supermolecules with a formation of carboxyl groups. EPR spectroscopy demonstrated decrease of content of vanadyl complexes spin per gram of oxygenates 0.5–2 times in comparison with initial asphaltenes, which indicates the separation of occluded metalloporphyrins. Content of free stable radicals in high molecular products increased in 2–4 times.

Results of a study of the reaction products of asphaltene sulfonation with sulfuric acid in various temperature and time ranges have been described. The maximum sulfur content in sulfonated cation exchangers at an asphaltene sulfonation temperature of 100 and 120°С and a reaction time of 2 h has been determined. The maximum static exchange capacity of 4.3 meq/g has been found for the products of sulfonation with a sulfuric acid–oleum mixture. The asphaltene-based strongly acidic sulfocationite has been tested in the 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane synthesis reaction.

The possibility of the catalytic cyclization reaction between hydrazine hydrate and acrylic acid at room temperature on an acid catalyst based on petroleum asphaltenes was studied. The effect of sulfocationite on the possibility of obtaining the target pyrazolidine-3-one was investigated. The reaction mixtures and their bottoms are analyzed. Different oligomeric and polymeric products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization. The most probable structures of the resulting products were described.

Strongly acidic cation exchangers were obtained by the sulfonation and successive sulfonation and nitration of petroleum asphaltenes. The cation exchangers were characterized by IR spectroscopy and acid–base back titration; the surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The kinetic regularities of the Kabachnik–Fields reaction were studied at various temperatures in the course of catalysis by the cation exchangers based on asphaltenes and in the absence of a catalyst.