Nature of capillary condensation and evaporation processes in ordered porous materials

We report on a detailed experimental study of capillary condensation-evaporation processes of N(2) in ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica. We have carried out measurements of boundary hysteresis loops, reversal curves, and subloops in order to test whether this material behaves as an assembly of independent cylindrical pores open at both ends. With these data, we come to the conclusion that, whereas the boundary hysteresis loop has the classical shape of type H1 associated with condensation-evaporation in cylindrical pores open at both ends, the capillary evaporation does not take place at equilibrium as it is generally assumed. Moreover, the pores do not desorb independently of one another.     

Capillary condensation of an adsorbate in the cylindrical channels of MSM-41 mesoporous adsorbent

Exact direct calculations of adsorption of model argon atoms and nitrogen molecules in cylindrical proes of a MSM-41-type material were performed with the use of the fragment method over a wide temperature range. It was demonstrated that, in pores with a diameter of about 2 nm, no phase transitions occur, and, therefore, no hysteresis loops are observed. Topological and geometric criteria of the quasi-one-dimensional behavior of the adsorbate in pores with diameters of from 2 to 10 nm were introduced and examined. The geometric criteria predict the appearance of a hysteresis loop for pores with a diameter of 4 nm, in agreement with the available experimental data.     

Sensitivity of drainage and imbibition to pore structures as revealed by computer simulation of displacement process

This work concerns the effects of the properties of porous media on two phase fluid displacement at slow rates. These properties include the size frequency distributions, shape and connectivity of pores and throats, the size correlation of directly connected throats and pores and the spatial arrangement of pores and throats in porous media. Computer simulations using 3-dimensional networks of pores and throats were used to determine the effects of these properties on the form of primary and secondary drainage curves, imbibition curves and scanning loops of a capillary pressure diagram.The application of the results is in deriving information about the structure of a porous medium from capillary pressure curves and understanding how predictions about the form of relative permeability curves can be made from capillary pressure curves.The concepts of finite and infinite throat and pore controlled domains are applied during the filling and emptying of a network. These concepts are then combined with considerations of the accessibility of network sites to non-wetting phase or wetting phase sources and sinks to provide information about the amounts and distribution of continuous and discontinuous wetting phase (wp) and non-wetting phase (nwp) at any stage of a displacement. The distribution of fluids Is strictly controlled by the domains. It is shown that recognition of the types, abundance and distribution of domains provides a fundamental basis for understanding boundary effects, differences in tortuosity in porous systems containing two immiscible phases, breakthrough pressures, and saturations, differences in nwp withdrawal efficiency between uncorrelated and correlated pore-throat size models, differences in hysteresis between drainage and imbibition and differences in the shapes of capillary pressure and relative permeability curves for various types of porous structures.     

多喷嘴对置式水煤浆气化炉内固体颗粒微观特性研究

气化炉内固体颗粒微观结构特性对气流床气化过程中熔渣、粗渣和细渣的形成具有重要影响。基于多喷嘴对置式水煤浆气化实验,对典型工况(O/C原子比为1.0)下气化炉轴向不同位置的固体颗粒进行取样,利用氮气等温吸附法和扫描电子显微镜对颗粒孔隙结构和微观形态进行研究。结果表明,气化炉内固体颗粒典型形态为不规则多孔状和规则球状,喷嘴平面有少量致密性不规则颗粒和中空颗粒。从喷嘴平面沿气化炉轴向向下,随着气化反应的进行,颗粒表面愈加粗糙,孔隙结构愈加发达。颗粒吸附曲线属于II型等温线,迟滞回线属于H3型回线,表明颗粒具有大量裂缝形孔和较连续的完整孔系统。比表面积和孔容积均随着与喷嘴平面距离的增加而增大,而平均孔径逐渐减小,在喷嘴平面附近变化幅度较大。孔结构以孔径小于10 nm的孔为主,随着气化反应的进行颗粒中小于10 nm的孔逐渐增多,而大于10 nm的孔分布状态变化不大。     

Capillary condensation hysteresis in overlapping spherical pores: a monte carlo simulation study

The mechanisms of hysteretic phase transformations in fluids confined to porous bodies depend on the size and shape of pores, as well as their connectivity. We present a Monte Carlo simulation study of capillary condensation and evaporation cycles in the course of Lennard-Jones fluid adsorption in the system of overlapping spherical pores. This model system mimics pore shape and connectivity in some mesoporous materials obtained by templating cubic surfactant mesophases or colloidal crystals. We show different mechanisms of capillary hysteresis depending on the size of the window between the pores. For the system with a small window, the hysteresis cycle is similar to that in a single spherical pore: capillary condensation takes place upon achieving the limit of stability of adsorption film and evaporation is triggered by cavitation. When the window is large enough, the capillary condensation shifts to a pressure higher than that of the isolated pore, and the possibility for the equilibrium mechanism of desorption is revealed. These finding may have important implications for practical problems of assessment of the pore size distributions in mesoporous materials with cagelike pore networks.     

Adsorbate layering in narrow-pore materials

The conditions of layering of adsorbate molecules in porous systems with characteristic sizes of from 1 to 50–100 nm are discussed. The porous systems contain both very narrow pores, in which interaction potentials of pore walls overlap, and comparatively broad pores without overlapping of surface potentials. Three pore size intervals are distinguished. In the first interval, no adsorbate layering occurs, the second interval is characterized by capillary condensation with critical parameters different from their volume values, and, in the third interval, capillary condensation conditions are almost the same as in the volume adsorbtive phase. Criteria of the characteristic pore sizes of different geometries are formulated; the criteria correspond to small volumes in which first-order phase transitions are absent. The boundary between the first and second pore size regions is observed experimentally as the disappearance/appearance of hysteresis loops in adsorption-desorption isotherms measured under strictly equilibrium conditions as the size of pores decreases/increases. A nonuniform distribution of the surface potential is shown to be responsible for the multiplicity of local regions in porous media with their own vapor-liquid coexisting phases. The spinodal transitions in adsorption-desorption in pores can occur between various local regions. An analysis is performed in terms of the lattice gas model with short-range Lennard-Jones interaction of adsorbate molecules with each other and adsorbent walls.     

Reliability and storage capacity: a compromise illustrated in the two-step spin-crossover system [Fe(bapbpy)(NCS)(2)

The design of bistable magnetic systems should enable the storage of information by manipulation of the spin degrees of freedom. However, such a strategy relies on the preparation of target objects, whose environment must be controlled to favor a hysteretic behavior. Here, we report the successful modeling of a highly cooperative two-step spin-crossover iron(II) compound, [Fe(bapbpy)(NCS)(2)]. The magnetic susceptibility measurements and low- and high-temperature hysteretic cycles reflect the presence of an intermediate phase, which controls the memory-storage capacity of this material. It is shown that the hysteresis loop widths can be traced theoretically by evaluating the electrostatic contributions between the transiting units. Despite the apparent reduction of intermolecular interactions upon cooling, it is suggested that the enhanced fluctuations of the Madelung field are responsible for the observed hysteresis width changes. This counterintuitive scenario makes the preparation of information storage devices an even more challenging task, where theoretical inspections are very insightful.     

Cavitation and pore blocking in nanoporous glasses

In gas adsorption studies, porous glasses are frequently referred to as model materials for highly disordered mesopore systems. Numerous works suggest that an accurate interpretation of physisorption isotherms requires a complete understanding of network effects upon adsorption and desorption, respectively. The present article deals with nitrogen and argon adsorption at different temperatures (77 and 87 K) performed on a series of novel nanoporous glasses (NPG) with different mean pore widths. NPG samples contain smaller mesopores and significantly higher microporosity than porous Vycor glass or controlled pore glass. Since the mean pore width of NPG can be tuned sensitively, the evolution of adsorption characteristics with respect to a broadening pore network can be investigated starting from the narrowest nanopore width. With an increasing mean pore width, a H2-type hysteresis develops gradually which finally transforms into a H1-type. In this connection, a transition from a cavitation-induced desorption toward desorption controlled by pore blocking can be observed. Furthermore, we find concrete hints for a pore size dependence of the relative pressure of cavitation in highly disordered pore systems. By comparing nitrogen and argon adsorption, a comprehensive insight into adsorption mechanisms in novel disordered materials is provided.     

A grand canonical Monte Carlo study of capillary condensation in mesoporous media: effect of the pore morphology and topology

We study by means of Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations the condensation and evaporation of argon at 77 K in nanoporous silica media of different morphology or topology. For each porous material, our results are compared with data obtained for regular cylindrical pores. We show that both the filling and emptying mechanisms are significantly affected by the presence of a constriction. The simulation data for a constricted pore closed at one end reproduces the asymmetrical shape of the hysteresis loop that is observed for many real disordered porous materials. The adsorption process is a quasicontinuous mechanism that corresponds to the filling of the different parts of the porous material, cavity, and constriction. In contrast, the desorption branch for this pore closed at one end is brutal because the evaporation of Ar atoms confined in the largest cavity is triggered by the evaporation of the fluid confined in the constriction (which isolates the cavity from the gas reservoir). This evaporation process conforms to the classical picture of "pore blocking effect" proposed by Everett many years ago. We also simulate Ar adsorption in a disordered porous medium, which mimics a Vycor mesoporous silica glass. The adsorption isotherm for this disordered porous material having both topological and morphological defects presents the same features as that for the constricted pore (quasicontinuous adsorption and steep desorption process). However, the larger degree of disorder of the Vycor surface enhances these main characteristics. Finally, we show that the effect of the disorder, topological and/or morphological, leads to a significant lowering of the capillary condensation pressure compared to that for regular cylindrical nanopores. Also, our results suggest that confined fluids isolated from the bulk reservoir evaporate at a pressure driven by the smallest size of the pore.     

Modeling of the hysteresis phenomena in finite-sized slitlike nanopores. Revision of the recent results by rigorous numerical analysis

The systematic investigation of the hysteresis phenomena in finite-sized slitlike nanopores via the Aranovich-Donohue (AD) lattice density functional theory (LDFT) is presented. The new reliable quantitative modeling of the adsorption and desorption branch of the hysteresis loop, through the formation and movement of the curved meniscus, is formulated. As a result, we find that our proposal, which closely mimics the experimental findings, can reproduce a rounded shape of the desorption branch of the hysteresis loop. On the basis of the exhausted commutations, we proved that the hysteresis loop obtained in the considered finite-sized slitlike geometry is of the H1 type of the IUPAC classification. This fundamental result and the other most important results do not confirm the results of the recent studies of Sangwichien et al., whereas they fully agree with the recent lattice studies due to Monson et al. We recognize that the nature of the hysteresis loops (i.e. position, width, shape, and the multiple steps) mainly depends on the value of the energy of both the adsorbate-adsorbate and adsorbate-adsorbent interactions; however, the first one is critical for the appearance of hysteresis. Thus, for relatively small adsorbate-adsorbate interactions, the adsorption-desorption process is fully reversible in the whole region of the bulk density. We show that the strong adsorbate-adsorbent interactions produce (also observed experimentally) multiple steps within hysteresis loops. Contrary to the other studies of the hysteresis phenomena in confined geometry via the LDFT formalism, we constructed both ascending and descending scanning curves, which are known from the experimental observations. Additionally, we consider the problem of the stability of both the obtained adsorption and desorption branches of the computed hysteresis loop in finite-sized slitlike nanopores.     

Adsorption hysteresis in ordered mesoporous silicas

We review some recent progress in experimental studies of the adsorption hysteresis of simple molecules in ordered mesoporous silicas. We show that the nature of the adsorption hysteresis due to capillary condensation can be examined with less ambiguity by measuring the hysteresis loop for the ordered mesoporous silicas with three types of pore geometries (cylindrical, interconnected cylindrical, and interconnected spherical) over a wide temperature range. The adsorption hysteresis arises from the metastability of a confined phase and the temperature at which the hysteresis disappears is lower than the critical temperature of vapor-liquid equilibrium in pores. The hysteresis occurs mainly on the desorption rather than adsorption branch, irrespective of the pore geometries.     

Confinement effects on the glass transition of hydrogen bonded liquids

The glass transition behavior of glycerol and propylene glycol confined in nanoporous glass is investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Both silanized and unsilanized porous glasses are used to confine the liquids with nominal pore sizes ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 nm, and the glass transition temperature (T(g)) and the limiting fictive temperature (T(f )') are measured on cooling and heating, respectively. The effect of pore fullness is also examined. We find that differences in T(g), DeltaC(p), and the enthalpy overshoot behavior observed on heating are significant between partially and completely filled pores for the case of the unsilanized controlled pore glasses (CPGs) but that the effect of pore fullness is insignificant for the silanized CPGs. In general, the behavior in the silanized CPGs is similar to the behavior in the completely filled unsilanized pores. For glycerol, this includes a small depression in T(f )' on the order of 5 K at 2.5 nm. For propylene glycol, similar behavior is found except that an additional glass transition is observed in both silanized and unsilanized systems approximately 30 K higher than the bulk and a slightly smaller depression on the order of 3 K at 2.5 nm is observed in the completely filled unsilanized pores and in partially and completely filled silanized pores. The results are compared to those in the literature, and the confinement effects are discussed.     

Analytical theory of hysteresis in ion channels: two-state model

Channel-forming proteins in a lipid bilayer of a biological membrane usually respond to variation of external voltage by changing their conformations. Periodic voltages with frequency comparable with the inverse relaxation time of the protein produce hysteresis in the occupancies of the protein conformations. If the channel conductance changes when the protein jumps between these conformations, hysteresis in occupancies is observed as hysteresis in ion current through the channel. We develop an analytical theory of this phenomenon assuming that the channel conformational dynamics can be described in terms of a two-state model. The theory describes transient behavior of the channel after the periodic voltage is switched on as well as the shape and area of the hysteretic loop as functions of the frequency and amplitude of the applied voltage. The area vanishes as the voltage period T tends to zero and infinity. Asymptotic behaviors of the loop area A in the high- and low-frequency regimes, respectively, are A approximately T and A approximately T(-1).     

改性Y沸石的孔结构与催化性能

测定了不同方法改性的Y沸石样品的N_2吸附和脱附等温线, 并计算了样品的微孔、大孔和二次孔的孔容和表面积, 以及样品的二次孔分布, 证实改性方法对样品的孔结构有显著的影响。同时, 还考察了不同尺码探针分子在改性Y沸石样品上的酸催化反应活性, 将所得数据与样品的酸量、酸强度和二次孔容相关联, 取得了满意的结果。说明对大尺码反应分子, 改性过程中生成的大孔径二次孔, 对提高沸石催化剂的反应活性是有利的。     

Interpretation of water isotherm hysteresis for an activated charcoal using stochastic pore networks

Water vapor adsorption equilibria on activated carbons typically exhibit hysteresis. The size and shape of the hysteresis loop which separates the adsorption and desorption branches is a strong function of the pore size and interconnectivity of the pores. Neither conventional pore filling models nor statistical thermodynamics approaches provide a means for predicting the extent of hysteresis from only adsorption measurements. This work uses the Kelvin Equation in conjunction with the structural concept of a stochastic pore network to describe measured water isotherms on BPL carbon. Using a pore segment distribution function determined from the adsorption branch, it is shown that totally random assemblies underestimate the extent of hysteresis. It is possible, however, to closely fit the measured BPL-water hysteresis loop using a patchy heterogeneity in which a proportion of the larger pores are preferentially located on the exterior, mid-range pores are concentrated in a sub-surface layer and some large pores form shielded voids behind much smaller pores.Nomenclature p vapor phase partial pressure of sorbate - p _sat saturation vapor pressure of sorbate - R gas constant - r pore radius - T absolute temperature - t adsorbed layer thickness - V _L molar volume of adsorbed phase - surface tension - contact angle     

Effect of temperature on the adsorption of water in porous carbons

We report experimental and simulation studies to investigate the effect of temperature on the adsorption isotherms for water in carbons. Adsorption isotherms are measured by a gravimetric technique in carbon-fiber monoliths at 378 and 423 K and studied by molecular simulation in ideal carbon pores in the temperature range 298-600 K. Experimental adsorption isotherms show a gradual water uptake, as the pressure increases, and narrow adsorption-desorption hysteresis loops. In contrast, simulated adsorption isotherms at room temperature are characterized by negligible uptake at low pressures, sudden and complete pore filling once a threshold pressure is reached, and wide adsorption-desorption hysteresis loops. As the temperature increases, the relative pressure at which pore filling occurs increases and the size of the hysteresis loop decreases. Experimental adsorption-desorption hysteresis loops are narrower than those from simulation. Discrepancies between simulation and experimental results are attributed to heterogeneities in chemical composition, pore connectivity, and nonuniform pore-size distribution, which are not accounted for in the simulation model. The hysteresis phase diagram for confined water is obtained by recording the pressure-density conditions that bound the simulated hysteresis loop at each temperature. We find that the hysteresis critical temperature, i.e., the lowest temperature at which no hysteresis is detected, can be hundreds of degrees lower than the vapor-liquid critical temperature for bulk model water. The properties of confined water are discussed with the aid of simulation snapshots and by analyzing the structure of the confined fluid.     

The evaluation of the possibility of determining the function characterizing the connectedness of pores of various sizes from adsorption measurements

The possibility of determining the function characterizing the connectedness of pores of different types and sizes from the experimental adsorption isotherms is discussed. It is shown that the presence of joints of pores manifests itself by two indications in phase diagrams and adsorption isotherms that contain hysteresis loops. The first indication is related to the appearance of an additional phase transition in the phase diagram and/or a density jump in the isotherm. The second indication is related to different numbers of density jumps in the desorption and adsorption branches of adsorption isotherms. The character of the behavior of the adsorption branch of the isotherm in the case of the presence of regions of joints in a porous system is established.     

Chemical hysteresis in phase transitions in the terbium oxide-oxygen system

A thermogravimetric study of hysteresis in the TbO_xO₂ system has provided insight into phase transitions occurring among the fluorite-related rare earth oxides. A series of isobaric scanning loops at 380 Torr have been made. The scans were between TbO_1.5(?) and TbO_1.714(ι) at higher temperatures and between TbO_1.714(ι) and TbO_1.818(δ) at lower temperatures. Corresponding isobaric studies were made utilizing high temperature X-ray powder diffraction to augment the TGA experiments.It was confirmed that sections of the lower temperature loop were dependent on the rate of temperature change while the higher temperature loop was entirely reproducible. Interior scanning loops made within the lower hysteresis loop showed univariant behavior typical of a single phase when reversed in the δ′δ pseudophase region, otherwise it exhibited bivariant behavior. The upper hysteresis loop showed bivariant behavior throughout the interior of the loop. Some thermodynamic aspects and the microdomain concept as applied to hysteresis are also considered.     

Adsorption of argon on mesoporous anodic alumina

We have studied the adsorption of Ar on regular, highly-ordered alumina membranes made by anodization. The straight, non-interconnected pores have nominal diameters of 31 and 83 nm, with a relative dispersion better than 5 % in the pore size. Adsorption isotherms taken on bare membranes with pores of 83 nm present two distinct hysteresis loops. This is found to be a consequence of the fabrication procedure that yields a central circular region formed by open pores surrounded by an outer ring with closed bottom pores of smaller size, about 40 nm. For the membrane with pores of 31 nm, the difference between these pores is much smaller, about 2 nm, and this explains why the isotherms on these membranes show a single hysteresis loop as expected. Detailed real space analysis of the membranes by electron microscopy confirms the adsorption conclusions.