Brunner-Emmett-Teller theory

Presented by : Tehseen Zehra

Uswa Zahra
Muntaha Nasir
Summayya Shafique
 Brunner-Emmett-Teller theory

• The BET theory (abbreviated from Brunner-Emmett-Teller theory) is used

to measure the surface area of solid or porous materials.

Dissolution
rates

Catalytic Material
activity characterization

Moisture
Shelf life
retention
What can be measured by using this technique?

• Specific surface area

• Pore size distribution
• Heat of adsorption
 Basic Principle

• Homogeneous surface
• No lateral interactions between molecules
• Uppermost layer is in equilibrium with vapour phase
• First and Higher layer: Heat adsorption
• All surface sites have same adsorption energy for adsorbate
• Adsorption on the adsorbent occurs in infinite layers
• The theory can be applied to each layer
 Factors Affects the Surface Area

• Breakdown of particles
• Dissolution
• Decomposition
• Synthesis and processing
 Process of BET
• In BET surface area analysis, nitrogen is usually used because of its availability in high
purity and its strong interaction with most solids.
• Known amounts of nitrogen gas are then released stepwise into the sample cell.
• Relative pressures less than atmospheric pressure is achieved by creating conditions of
partial vacuum.
• After the saturation pressure, no more adsorption occurs regardless of any further
increase in pressure.
• After the adsorption layers are formed, the sample is removed from the nitrogen
atmosphere and heated to cause the adsorbed nitrogen to be released from the material
and quantified.
 Sample preparation
• Weigh of the sample
• Before measurement sample should be degassed
o To remove water and other contaimination.
o At high temperature
o With some vacuum conditions
 How does BET work?
• Removable sample cell
• Dosing manifold
• Pressure transducers
• Vacuum system
• Analysis gas
• Valves to move gas in and out of manifold and sample cell –
• Sample thermostat (dewar, furnace)
Schematic representation of BET
instrumentation
 Purpose/benefit

Adsorptive Temperature Micropore size Mesopore size Total pore

Surface area
distribution distribution volume

not
Nitrogen 77 K ✓ ✓ ✓
recommended

IUPAC
Argon 87 K ✓ ✓ ✓
recommendation

Carbon dioxide 273 K – ✓ (carbons) – –

✓ (low surface
Krypton 77 K – – –
area)

Krypton 87 K ✓ (thin films) ✓ (thin films) ✓ (up to 10 nm) –

 Adsorption
• Defined as the adhesion of gas or vapor phase molecules
or atoms on the surface of a solid.
• Adsorbate : A substance (gas or vapour)
or atoms on the surface of a solid.
• Absorbent: A substance that adsorbs another.
 Factors effecting adsorption
• Nature of adsorbent : More the surface area per unit mass of the
adsorbent ,more will be the adsorption.
The basic feature of a good adsorbent is a large specific surface area.
generally, a porous material is a good absorbent.
• Nature of adsorbate: easily liquefiable gases gets easily adsorbed.
• Temperature: Adsorption increases as temperature decreases.
• Pressure: Magnitude of adsorption increases as pressure increases.
 Adsorption Isotherms
• The data collected is displayed in the form of BET isotherms, which plots amount of gas adsorbed
as function of relative pressure. There are following types of adsorption isotherms possible.
• Type 1 :
Depicts monolayer adsorption.
The characterization of micro porous materials,
those with pore diameters less than 2 nm, gives this
type of isotherm.
Type 2: The flatter region in the middle
represents the formation of a monolayer.
At very low pressures, the micro pores fill
with nitrogen gas. At the knee, monolayer
formation is beginning and multilayer
formation occurs at medium pressure. At the
higher pressures, capillary condensation
occurs.

Type 3:
Shows the formation of a multilayer.
Because there is no asymptote in the
curve,
no monolayer is formed and BET is not
applicable.
Type 4:
BET surface area characterization of meso
porous materials, which are materials with pore
diameters between 2 - 50 nm, gives this type of
isotherm.

At the lower pressure regions, it shows the

formation of a monolayer followed by a
formation of multilayers.
 SURFACE AREA CALCULATION
The most common method use to describe specific surface area is by the BET equation:

W= weight of gas adsorbed

C= BET constant
 Total Surface Area
• Total Surface area S. can be derived as:
• N= Avogadro’s number
• M= Molecular weight of adsobrate

Specified surface area can be calculated as:

 The Surface Area Determination of Metal-Organic Frameworks

The BET isotherms of the zeolites and

metal-organic frameworks. IRMOF-13
is symbolized by the black triangle and
red line.
• The isotherm data obtained from
partial pressure range of 0.05 to
0.3 is plugged into the BET
equation.
 Applications of BET

• Catalysis
• Surface Area of Nanomaterials by BET analysis
• Specific Surface Area of Materials
• Surface area of Cement
 Conclusion

• As the BET principle employs gas adsorption data it is equally applicable

to porous and non-porous materials regardless of particle size and shape.
As such, it is a useful tool for the investigation and manufacture of a wide
variety of solids.