Pressure-induced infiltration of aqueous solutions of multiple promoters in a nanoporous silica.

By applying an external pressure, an aqueous solution of promoters can be forced into a hydrophobic nanoporous silica gel. The promoter molecule demands a free volume several times larger than itself to enter the nanoenvironment. The free volume size is a function of the promoter concentration. If more than one promoter is used, the system behavior does not follow the principle of superposition. These results have important relevance to intelligent absorption and adsorption, programmable catalysis, and so on.