Combined Nitrogen, Hexane, and Benzene Adsorption Characterization of Pores and Surfaces of Lyophobic Mesoporous Silicas

For lyophobic porous surfaces, structural analysis by vapor adsorption is complicated due to weak adsorbate–adsorbent interactions and limited wetting of the pores (nonzero contact angles). To investigate further, adsorption isotherms of three distinct adsorbates (nitrogen - 77 K, <i>n</i>-hexane and benzene - 298 K) were studied for SBA-15 ordered mesoporous silica where the surface was functionalized with lyophobic perfluoroalkyl groups (C₆F₁₃ termini). The results demonstrated a clear advantage of the combined use of the adsorption isotherms of less surface sensitive (nitrogen) and more surface sensitive (hydrocarbons) adsorbates. The adsorption of nitrogen provided basic structural characteristics like surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution, while the isotherms of benzene and <i>n</i>-hexane were used to characterize wetting (contact angles) and surface energy of the C₆F₁₃ surfaces within the pores. For the first time, the statistical film thickness for nitrogen, benzene, and <i>n</i>-hexane are being reported for the adsorption on fluorinated surfaces, thereby providing critical data for the pore size and the contact angle determination of the lyophobic materials