• Over time themetal extraction treatments enlarge
the pore size of the silica.
• An increase in the pore size creates an increase in
the pore volume. This increases the voidvolume.
• As pore size increases for the silica particle
surface area decreases.
• The loss in surface area reduces themaximum
amount of phase that canbe placedonto the silica
surface relative to the parentmaterial.
• Treatment and synthesis routes also effect the
surface of the particle.
