Which mechanism fundamentally limits the effectiveness of molecular sieves in separating similarly sized molecules?

💡 Explanation

When similarly sized molecules enter a molecular sieve, separation relies on differential van der Waals interactions affecting adsorption affinity within the pores, causing some molecules to adhere more strongly. Therefore, van der Waals interactions limits effectiveness, rather than quantum tunneling, Brownian motion or electrostatic forces, which are less influential in this context.

• Which outcome occurs when hydraulic fluid viscosity increases excessively in a robotic arm joint?
• Which impairment occurs when pulsed laser diodes lose coherence?
• Which consequence results when epoxy adhesive's covalent network degrades?
• Which risk substantially increases if a pulsed laser fails to maintain phase coherence during femtosecond-laser micromachining of a silicon wafer?
• Which risk increases when operating a GPS satellite near Earth and why does the principle matter?
• Which consequence results when a steam turbine's isentropic efficiency decreases?