## 1 Introduction  
### Relevance of Carbon Nanotubes for Property Improvement  
For any economically developed country, ensuring the sustainable development of its road network is of strategic importance. In this context, a priority task becomes ensuring high-quality roads throughout their service life, extending the durability of road pavements, and reducing maintenance and repair costs. The primary construction material for roads--asphalt concrete--is produced using a thermoplastic binder, petroleum bitumen, which determines its heightened sensitivity to fluctuations in ambient temperature [1, 2]. This, combined with mechanical stresses from traffic loads, leads to insufficient operational reliability under varying temperature conditions, resulting in cracks, plastic deformations, premature wear, and material degradation [3]. The evident causes of premature road wear due to increasing traffic intensity and vehicle axle loads, aside from natural physical factors, include the low quality of materials used, imperfections in asphalt mix design, road design, and inadequate quality of asphalt pavement manufacturing technology. A promising material science approach to improving the durability of asphalt concrete involves the introduction of carbon nanomaterials as modifiers along with various plasticizers [3; 4]. However, the unresolved scientific problem of effectively applying carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the modification of bitumen binders remains. The application of fundamental thermodynamic principles to the dispersion of CNTs in a hydrocarbon matrix is associated with the need to develop scientifically grounded approaches to managing interactions at the molecular and interfacial levels. The core issue lies in the insufficient theoretical and experimental basis explaining the mechanisms of thermodynamic compatibility of CNTs with the organic matrix, the conditions required to stabilize their dispersion, and the prevention of aggregation. A particular challenge is the creation of stable dispersed systems that ensure the uniform distribution of CNTs within both the plasticizer and the bitumen, as well as the optimization of their influence on the material's structural formation, viscoelastic properties, and durability. Addressing this issue requires the integration of fundamental thermodynamic calculations, experimental studies of equilibrium states, and the kinetics of interactions to enable predictive control over the quality of modified bitumen binders. Carbon nanomaterials, known for their unique mechanical, thermal, and optical properties, have garnered significant attention across various applied fields [5]. Advances in their synthesis have led to the development of diverse types of nanomaterials, with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) standing out due to their industrial-scale production and exceptional properties. Research by [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [6; 7; 8] highlights the self-lubricating characteristics of MWCNTs, attributed to their graphite-like sp\({}^{2}\)-hybridized cylindrical layers. The weak van der Waals forces between these layers enable easy sliding and rotation, while their high mechanical strength, thermal stability, and oxidation resistance make MWCNTs highly promising for material science applications. The presence of graphene and graphene-like structures in petroleum and bitumen has been a topic of interest for decades. Studies by [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [9; 10] using transmission electron microscopy revealed curved graphene \"sheets\" derived from disintegrated multilayer, onion-like fullerenes. Further investigations by [PERSON], [PERSON], and colleagues [11; 12; 13] identified graphene-like sheets within petroleum asphaltene aggregates, approximately 50 nm in diameter, suggesting petroleum asphaltenes could serve as a cost-effective source for large-scale fullerene production. However, these studies provide limited data on the initial concentrations of fullerenes in natural oils.