Acrylamide-based water-soluble polymers have been widely used in the tertiary oil recovery process

but their poor salt tolerance and thermostability impeded their use in high-temperature and high-salinity oil reservoirs. To overcome such deficiencies

Hourdet et al proposed a novel concept of "thermoviscosifying water-soluble polymer" and pioneered the research in this area. Such an idea has attracted the attention from both polymer and petroleum communities. Based on authors work in this area

this paper introduces the principle

categories

synthesis procedures

as well as aqueous solution properties of thermoviscosifying polymers including those based on N-isopropylacrylamide

polyethylene oxide and N-(1

1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)-acrylamide. Current challenge and future trend have been pointed out to close this review.