Phenomenological Study of Confined Criticality: Insights from the Capillary Condensation of Propane, n-Butane, and n-Pentane in Nanopores

We use the comparison of experimentally measured isotherms for propane, n-butane, and n-pentane in 2.90, 4.19, and 8.08 nm MCM-41 to show that the current model for the progression of capillary condensation may not hold true for chain molecules, such as normal alkanes. Until now, the capillary condensation of gases in unconnected, uniformly sized and shaped nanopores has been shown to progress in two distinct stages before ending in supercriticality of the confined fluid. First, at relatively low temperatures in isothermal measurements, the phase change is accompanied by hysteresis of adsorption and desorption. Second, as temperature increases, the hysteresis critical temperature is surpassed, and the phase change occurs reversibly. Although propane followed this progression, we observed a new progression for n-butane and n-pentane, in which hysteresis continues into the supercritical region of the confined fluid. We attribute this behavior to the molecular chain lengths of the adsorbates. Through further comparison of the adsorption, desorption, and critical properties of the adsorbates, we discovered new pressure phenomena of the confined supercritical fluids.