Novel insights into nanopore deformation caused by capillary condensation.
By means of in situ small-angle x-ray diffraction experiments and semi-grand-canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulations we demonstrate that sorption and condensation of a fluid confined within nanopores is capable of deforming the pore walls. At low pressures the pore is widened due to a repulsive interaction caused by collisions of the fluid molecules with the walls. At capillary condensation the pores contract abruptly on account of attractive fluid-wall interactions whereas for larger pressures they expand again. These features cannot solely be accounted for by effects related to pore-wall curvature but have to be attributed to fluid-wall dispersion forces instead.
Günther
Gerrit
G
Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin.
Prass
Johannes
J
Paris
Oskar
O
Schoen
Martin
M