Adsorption-biased characterization of porous solids

Abstract This article summarizes opening address in 9th Characterization of Porous Materials (CPM9). The role and historical sketch of main adsorption-based conferences such as Fundamentals of Adsorption (FOA), Characterization of Porous Solids (COPS), Pacific Basin Conference on Adsorption Science and Technology (PBAST), and Characterization of Porous Materials (CPM) are given. The unique role of CPM in adsorption-based characterization of porous materials is introduced in the above conferences. The concerted stimulation between innovated well-defined nanoporous materials and modernized adsorption studies supported by new theoretical and experimental approaches have given rise to quite active research activities mentioned above. The brief research activities of author’s group, which have aimed to bridge experimental and theoretical studies, are described; they have introduced in-situ X-ray diffraction, in-situ small angle X-ray scattering, high resolution adsorption measurement even from ultrahigh vacuum range, wide-temperature range in-situ IR spectroscopy for elucidation of the intermolecular structure of molecules adsorbed in nanopores. Also, future scope of the research on characterization of porous solids is proposed.