| Abstract: | The mechanism of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is reciprocal in respect to the properties of the porous material and of the solutes immersed. The porosimetric interpretation (inverse SEC) yields information about the morphology of porous solids. It depends on a number of assumptions and in particular on the steric properties of the probing macromolecules whose ‘Universal Calibration’ remains disputed to this day. The central question concerns the equilibrium distribution of molecules in confined spaces of complex geometry, and is, as such, not limited to the particulars of chromatographic technique. This survey hopes to help focus future research activities in this field of analytical chemistry and material science. |
