The chemistry of low dosage clathrate hydrate inhibitors.

This review aims to introduce the chemistry of low dosage inhibitors of clathrate hydrate formation within the context of their role in the oil and gas industry. The review covers both kinetic hydrate inhibitors and anti-agglomerants from the point of view of structure-function relationships, focussing on recent refinements in mechanistic understanding and chemical design, and the consequently evolving and increasingly fine-tuned properties of these fascinating compounds.