Gas adsorption analysis of porous silicon

Abstract

Pore volume and surface area of porous silicon are key parameters to consider when developing applications that rely on the capacity to carry a payload, such as drug delivery, or that are dependent on the degree of "reactivity," such as sensing or energetics. The ability to define and tune surface areas and pore size distributions is a necessity for clinical use of the material. Herein, the historical assessment of these physical parameters by gas adsorption is reviewed, the methodology behind the measurements is described, the limitations are highlighted, and data related to its use in determining the effects associated with different anodization parameters and post-anodization processing is presented.