Emerging approaches for textural characterization of nanoporous materials by gas adsorption

Abstract

Nanoporous materials have emerged as one of the most versatile and functional classes of solids, with applications spanning a wide range of advanced technologies, including environmental remediation, catalysis, molecular separation, gas storage, chemical sensing, energy conversion, and drug delivery. The effectiveness of these materials is intimately linked to their intrinsic porosity and related adsorption-relevant properties, such as high specific surface areas, hierarchical and tunable pore architectures, adjustable pore size distributions, large pore volumes, and the possibility of chemically functionalizing pore surfaces. These features promote improved diffusion, selectivity, and accessibility to active sites. It is important, however, to clearly differentiate between pore structure and textural properties, as these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Pore structure refers to the inherent internal pore network of the solid, including pore width, shape, and connectivity. In contrast, textural properties are often associated with larger-scale characteristics such as particle morphology, aggregation, and packing, which may generate interparticle voids. This distinction matters because physisorption measurements primarily probe the intrinsic pore network, whereas interparticle contributions are more strongly related to textural effects and therefore require careful interpretation.