Mesoporer

Mesoporer is a term used in materials science to denote porous materials that contain mesopores, defined as pores with diameters between about 2 and 50 nanometers. In formal literature, the adjective mesoporous is more common, but mesoporer appears in some sources as a substantive reference to this pore class. Mesopores are intermediate in size between micropores and macropores, offering a balance of surface area and accessibility.

Most mesoporer materials are inorganic or hybrid, and many are silica- or carbon-based with regular pore networks. Common architectures include hexagonal arrays and cylindrical channels. Synthesis frequently relies on templating: soft-templating with surfactants (for example CTAB) and silica sources produces MCM-41-like structures; SBA-15 uses block copolymer templates to achieve larger mesopores. Hard-templating and post-synthesis modifications can further tailor pore size and connectivity.

Key properties include high surface area, tunable pore size, and functionalizable pore walls. Their stability and chemistry depend on composition and synthesis conditions. The pore structure can influence diffusion, adsorption capacity, and catalytic accessibility.

Applications span catalysis, adsorption and separation, drug delivery, sensing, and energy storage. Examples of well-known mesoporous materials include mesoporous silica like MCM-41 and SBA-15, which have been used as catalyst supports and adsorbents.

History and outlook: The discovery and development of ordered mesoporous silica materials in the 1990s expanded porosity studies and enabled broad exploration of mesoporosity. Ongoing work aims to improve stability, pore-structure control, and functionalization for advanced technologies.