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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices
Published on: March 27, 2019
Nitrogen adsorption on silica xerogels or the odd look of a t plot
Cédric J Gommes1, Silvia Blacher, Jean-Paul Pirard
1Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Liège, B6a, Allée du 6 août, 3, B-4000, Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium. cedric.gommes@ulg.ac.be
Abstract:
Nitrogen adsorption in some silica xerogels leads to t plots that cannot be interpreted by the occurrence of capillary condensation or by the filling of micropores. Their particular appearance stems from the unique columnar structure of these samples at the nanometer scale, by which the adsorbent surface has a positive curvature. A standard thermodynamic approach allows the phenomenon to be exploited to characterize the samples.
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