 Water-soluble polymers have been used for decades in chemical-enhanced oil recovery, EOR, processes, but they are limited in high temperature and salinity environments due to their inherently low salt tolerance and weak thermal stability. In this study, researchers developed a new type of water-soluble polymer, called hopham, which is combined with silicon nanoparticles to create a hybrid material. This hybrid material showed improved thermal stability and greater resistance to shearing forces compared to the original polymer. Additionally, it demonstrated superior performance in EOR tests when compared to the original polymer. This article was authored by Ding Wei Zhu, Li Minwei, Beeching Wang, and others.