adsorptian

Adsorptian is a neologism used to describe phenomena, properties, or materials related to adsorption, the process by which molecules adhere to a surface. As an adjective formed from adsorption plus the suffix -ian, adsorptian describes the capacity, behavior, or characteristics of systems in which adsorption predominates. The term is not widely standardized in major chemical glossaries, and its usage is found mainly in some scientific writings to emphasize adsorption-specific aspects separate from absorption or broader sorption.

In practice, adsorptian may be used to refer to material properties such as adsorptivity, adsorption capacity, selectivity, or surface interactions on porous materials like activated carbon, zeolites, metal-organic frameworks, or polymer networks. It can also describe experimental or theoretical frameworks focused on surface phenomena, including isotherm fitting, adsorption energetics, and surface site distribution.

Differences from related terms: adsorption refers to the process; adsorbent is the material hosting the adsorption; adsorbate is the species being adsorbed. Adsorptian, therefore, is not a distinct physical law but a descriptor. Critics note that because few authoritative sources define it, use should be clarified by context or substituted with established terms.

See also: adsorption, adsorbent, adsorbate, adsorption isotherm, Langmuir model, BET theory, surface chemistry, porous materials.