Adding mesopore networks in microporous materials using the principles of hierarchical structure design is recognized as a promising route for eliminating their transport limitations and, therefore, for improving their value in technological applications. Depending on the routes of physico-chemical procedures or post-synthesis treatments used, very different geometries of the intentionally-added transport mesopores can be obtained. Understanding the structure-dynamics relationships in these complex materials with multiple porosities under different thermodynamical conditions remains a challenging task. In this review, we summarize the results obtained so far on experimental and theoretical studies of diffusion in micro-mesoporous materials. By considering four common classes of bi-porous materials, which are differing by the inter-connectivities of their sup-spaces as one of the most important parameter determining the transport rates, we discuss their generic transport properties and correlate the results delivered by the equilibrium and non-equilibrium techniques of diffusion measurements.

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Rouquerol criterion and the BET equation is in accord with the geometrical surface determined by the chord length distribution method. Therefore BET surface area (S BET) is well representative of micropore surface areas of microporous materials and of total surface area of microporous/mesoporous materials. Mechanical mixtures of mesoporous MCM-41 and microporous FAU-Y powders of known surface areas were used to calculate the respective surface areas by weighted linear combination and the results were compared to the values obtained by the t-plot method. The first slope of the t-plot determined the mesopore + external surface areas (S mes+ext). The linear fit of the first slope is in general in the range 0.01 < p/p 0 < 0.17 and contains the volumes and relative pressures at which all micropores are filled (p/p 0 > 0.10). Overestimation of S mes+ext values was evident and appropriate corrections were provided. External surface areas (S ext) were obtained from the second slope of the t-plot, without noting an overestimation of S ext , thus allowing the determination of mesopore surface areas (S mes) by difference. Micropore surface areas were calculated by subtracting S mes+ext from the total surface area, S BET. As an example, this methodology was applied to the characterization a family of hierarchical microporous/mesoporous FAU-Y (FAUmes) synthesized from H-FAU-Y (H-Y, Si/Al = 15) using C18TAB as surfactant and different NaOH/Si ratio (0.05 < NaOH/Si < 0.25). By increasing the NaOH/Si ratio in synthesis of FAUmes, it was shown that as the micropore surface area decreases, the mesopore surface area increases, while the micropore + mesopore surface area remains constant. This methodology allows accurate characterization of the surface areas of microporous/mesoporous materials.