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Surface Science and Molecular Interactions in Advanced Materials

Insights from Inverse Gas Chromatography (IGC-SEA) and Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS)

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Connect with Peers to Explore the Latest Advanced in Sorption-based Materials Characterization

Join Surface Measurement Systems and the University of Fribourg for an interdisciplinary workshop exploring how advanced surface and sorption characterization techniques provide mechanistic insight into materials behaviour across chemistry, materials science, and engineering.


The session will highlight how Inverse Gas Chromatography (IGC-SEA) and Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) enable quantitative analysis of:


  • Surface energy and heterogeneity
  • Acid–base properties
  • Nanoparticle interactions
  • Polymer surface behaviour
  • Adsorption and diffusion processes
  • Environmental and humidity effects


Applications span porous materials, nanoparticles, organic polymers, coatings, surface modification, catalysis, food engineering, and functional materials.


1. Fundamentals of IGC-SEA in Surface Science

  • Infinite dilution vs finite concentration regimes
  • Surface energy distributions and heterogeneity
  • Comparison with BET, contact angle, and calorimetry
  • Relevance for physical chemistry and materials science

2. Surface Energetics in Nanoparticles and Colloidal Systems

  • Energetic heterogeneity in nanoparticle systems
  • Particle–particle interactions and cohesion
  • Surface modification and functionalization

3. Organic Polymers and Soft Materials

  • Surface energy of polymer networks
  • Influence of molecular architecture
  • Glass transition and temperature effects
  • Applications in coatings and advanced polymer systems

Coffee Break (15–20 min)

4. Porous and Functional Materials

  • Surface energetics in porous systems
  • Selective gas interactions
  • Diffusion and accessibility
  • Linking IGC data with adsorption behaviour

5. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS): Complementary Insights

  • Sorption isotherms and kinetics
  • Humidity-dependent behaviour
  • Stability and environmental effects
  • Selected DVS data from the Coskun group

6. Integrated Characterization Approaches

  • Coupling IGC and DVS
  • Correlation with process conditions
  • Batch comparison and reproducibility
  • Mechanistic understanding vs routine testing

Apéro & Informal Scientific Discussion

Encouraging exchange between:

  • Department of Chemistry
  • Adolphe Merkle Institute
  • Materials & Polymer groups
  • Physical Chemistry researchers