microporige

Microporige is a term encountered in discussions of porous materials. It does not refer to a single, standardized definition, but rather to the role of microporosity—the presence of pores smaller than about 2 nanometers—in determining material performance. In these uses, microporige serves as an umbrella concept to connect pore structure with properties such as adsorption, diffusion, and reactivity.

Microporosity is characterized by extremely small pore cavities that contribute high surface area relative to material mass. In practice, microporige emphasizes how pore size distribution, connectivity at the nanoscale, and surface chemical characteristics together influence access to active sites and transport in confined spaces. It is typically distinguished from mesoporosity and macroporosity, which affect transport at larger scales.

Applications of microporige concepts appear in catalysis, gas storage and separation, environmental remediation, and energy storage. Common microporous materials include activated carbons, zeolites, certain metal-organic frameworks, and microporous polymers. Measurement relies on gas adsorption techniques (for example nitrogen at cryogenic temperatures or carbon dioxide at ambient temperatures) and analysis methods such as BET, t-plot, and NLDFT to estimate pore size distributions and surface area. Accessibility and diffusion within micropores can be as important as total microporosity in predicting performance.

Challenges include distinguishing true microporosity from ultra-small mesopores, accounting for pore blocking or aging, and ensuring reproducible synthesis and characterization. Because the term microporige is not universally standardized, researchers may define it differently depending on the context or discipline.