1. Context

The large family of materials can be subdivided into several subgroups, notably according to their chemical nature: organic/inorganic, metallic/non-metallic, natural/synthetic, etc. As materials are by definition useful solids, chosen by the user for their properties, another classification is based on their applications: structural materials on the one hand, and functional materials on the other. The former are used for their mechanical performance, the latter for any other property of interest: optical, electrical, magnetic, catalytic, etc. This article focuses on the latter family, and more specifically on porous materials.

Generally speaking, three types of porosity are considered: micropores, with a width of 2 nm or less, mesopores, between 2 and 50 nm, and macropores, over 50 nm. This definition is that of IUPAC