Evolution of porous materials from ancient remedies to modern frameworks

Abstract

Porous materials play a significant role in modern chemistry and materials science; despite recent scientific interest, they have a history dating back to antiquity. Here the authors provide a brief overview of the past that has contributed to their evolution.Scientific interest in porous materials has witnessed exceptional growth over the past few decades with the development of modern frameworks. However, it is important to appreciate that porous materials have been around for longer than we might initially think.Reading about porous materials used in ancient Egypt for medicinal purposes ignited our curiosity about the history of this field. A quest for primary sources then led us down somewhat of a rabbit hole, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. We, therefore, aim to provide a brief chronicle of the evolution of porous material discovery from ancient remedies to modern frameworks (Fig. 1).Scientific literature dating back to ancient Egyptian times is unsurprisingly scarce, as even the sturdiest papyri degrade over time. However, reports dating back to circa 1500 BC, in the Ebers papyrus, describe medical practices using porous charcoal for indigestion 1 . This describes the consumption of Egyptian ink, a mixture of charcoal suspended in gum Arabic slurry 2 .The practical use of charcoal for its absorptive properties continued throughout antiquity and into the early modern era to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Pliny the Elder quoted the older Roman Scholar, Varro, "let the hearth be your medicine-box" when discussing charcoal 3 . The purification of water with charcoal is also reported in ancient Hindu sources 4 . The British navy, during early exploration, also used to char the interior of wooden barrels to improve the shelf life of potable water. However, the charcoal stained the water, making it less desirable 5 . The consumption of charcoal in the animal kingdom has also been observed, with theories suggesting that Zanzibar red colobus monkeys use it for the adsorption of phenolic compounds 6 . There is even evidence of charcoal consumption in a nodosaurid ankylosaur dinosaur specimen of the genus Borealopelta from the early cretaceous period 7 , although unfortunately, we do not know for sure if the consumption was intentional or not. Charcoal is still currently used as a feed additive for livestock to improve growth and health 8 . Other porous materials like kaolinite, a clay mineral, have been used by humans throughout the world for antidiarrheal properties, including the commercial medication Kaopectate 9 . Even into the late 20 th century, raw kaolinite clays were sold in western African markets as oral antidiarrheal medicines 10 .However, to start thinking of the scientific theories of absorption using porous materials, we must jump to 18 th century Europe where Carl Scheele, a Swedish pharmaceutical chemist, studied the adsorption of gas within charcoal 11 . Scheele observed that upon heating in a vessel attached to a rubbery bladder, charcoal expelled adsorbed gases. He noted that the expansion of ...

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