DC conductivity percolation on drying moistened mesoporous silica SBA-15

•Continuity of the residual surface water film in dehydrating SBA-15 is studied.•DC conductivity percolation is used to monitor the continuity.•The percolation exponent is found independent of the initial sample hydration.•The percolation hydration threshold varied linearly with initial sample hydration.•The failure of the conducting water network is connect by the substrate morphology.

DC conductivity percolation on drying to air in water-moistened SBA-15 was characterized. The percolation exponent value, μh ≈ 1, is typical for hydrophilic fumed silica and biological porous materials. Somewhat surprisingly, we found that the percolation water content threshold depends linearly of the initial hydration of dry SBA-15 material. The finding is rationalized within the concept of morphological wetting transition at hydrophilic/phobic structured interface of moistened SBA-15.

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