al u201c nano catalytic spontaneous ignition and self supporting room temperature combustion u201d energy and fuels 855 2005 this paper discloses stable and reproducible spontaneous self ignition and self supporting combustion at room temperature by exposing nanometer sized catalytic particles to methanol air or ethanol air gas mixtures without any external energy input platinum nanoparticles supported on glass wools can catalyze instantaneously combustion of the gas mixtures the reaction releases heat and produces co 2 and water furthermore such reactions may be controlled to produce reaction temperatures as high as 600 degrees c and as low as a few tenths of a degree above room temperature the reaction rate is controlled by varying the fuel air mixture in addition catalytic activity could be controlled by changing particle sizes and or particle morphology embodiments of the invention provide methods for using a low temperature combustion oxidation reaction to enhance oil recovery in accordance with embodiments of the invention a suitable catalyst may be placed in a wellbore and an oxidizing agent e g air oxygen is pumped downhole to start and maintain a combustion which will provide heat and gases for eor the catalysts may be of controlled sizes including nanoparticles to provide the desired reaction rates the catalysts may be introduced downhole by suspending them in a fluid or included in other fluids such as a stimulation or workover fluid and pumped into wellbore and or formations fractures similarly the oxidizing agents may be pumped in a fluid alone or mixed in other well fluids in accordance with some embodiments of the invention the catalysts may also be immobilized on a particulate support such as proppants commonly used with well fluids before they are pumped downhole in addition.