The enrichment of coalbed methane (CBM) and the outburst of gas in a coal mine are closely related to the nanopore structure of coal. The evolutionary characteristics of 12 coal nanopore structures under different natural deformational mechanisms (brittle and ductile deformation) are studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The results indicate...

The impact of zeolite hierarchization is often highlighted in terms increased mesopore volume or specific surface area and preservation micropore volume. Yet, although these targets may be achieved, the accessibility to certain micropores might negatively affected during hierarchization. A set hierarchical MCM-22 based materials prepared on desilication treatments MCM-22, layered precursor MCM-...

Using two approaches, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) from bulk solutions and nanopore conductance-fluctuation analysis, we studied structural and dynamic features of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) water/salt solutions in the dilute and semidilute regimes. SANS measurements on PEG 3400 at the zero-average contrast yielded the single chain radius of gyration (Rg) over 1-30 wt %. We observed a...

In order to progress in the understanding of mechanical stress generation, the mesoporosity of the cell wall and its changes during maturation of poplar (Populus deltoides × P. nigra) tension wood (TW) and opposite wood (OW) were measured by nitrogen adsorption-desorption. Variations in the thickness of the gelatinous layer (G-layer) were also measured to clarify whether the mesoporosity change...

The carbon aerogels prepared by a new method through gelation and supercritical drying in isopropanol were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy, and a surface area analyzer. Their chemical structure, morphology, and pore structure are discussed. We found that all of these carbon aerogel (CA-IPA) samples have almost the same carbon and oxygen elem...

Infiltration of ions in a nanoporous carbon is responsive to the external electric field. If the liquid phase is an aqueous solution of electrolyte, the effective solid-liquid interfacial tension decreases as the voltage rises, similar to the electrowetting phenomenon at a large graphite surface. If the liquid phase is an ionic liquid, however, the effective interfacial tension increases with t...

Mesoporous polymers with tunable large mesopores and thin mesopore walls were synthesized through a CO2-swollen micelle templating route. The mesopore size and porosity properties of the polymers can be easily modulated by adjusting CO2 pressure. The as-synthesized mesocellular polymers are excellent candidate supports for preparing heterogeneous catalysts.

We report the direct fabrication of mesoporous zeolite with a hollow spherical/ellipsoidal capsule structure by using conventional TPAOH and CTAB as soft micro- and mesopore generating templates; the mesoporous zeolite shows a high surface area of 717 m(2) g(-1) and small mesopore size of around 3 nm.

Synthetic mesoporous alumina and silica minerals with uniform pore geometries, and their nonporous analogues, were used to test the role of mineral mesopores (2-50 nm diameter) in protecting organic matter from enzymatic degradation in soils and sediments. Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), a model humic compound, was irreversibly sorbed to both mineral types. The surface area-normalized adsorpti...

Detection and characterization of nucleic acid-protein interactions, particularly those involving DNA and transcription factors, remain significant barriers to our understanding of genetic regulation. Solid-state nanopores are extremely sensitive single molecule sensors with the capability to map local chemical and structural characteristics along the length of a biopolymer, providing label-fre...