Silica gel is a solid form of silicon dioxide, or SiO2, and it is actually more granular and hard than it is a gel. Silica gel is specifically synthesized to be highly porous, which is what gives it its adsorbing capabilities. Additionally, SiO2 is a polar compound, which allows it to preferentially adsorb other polar […]

Is silica gel polar? What significance does this hold for its adsorption capabilities? Silica gel is a polar adsorbent. This allows it to preferentially adsorb other polar materials. When it comes to polarity, materials interact more with like materials. This principle is particularly important to many laboratories, which use silica gel as the stationary phase […]