Adsorption of isopropanol and cyclohexane on zinc oxide

Abstract

Adsorption isotherms of isopropanol and cyclohexane are obtained in the range of 234–303 K on an initial surface of zinc oxide and after its treatment with glow-discharge plasma in O2 and high-frequency plasma in Ar. The values of isosteric heat and adsorption entropy are shown to be only slightly affected by these treatments. It is found that the acidity of the surface increases by 38 and 97%, respectively, and the acidic sites are not adsorption sites for either adsorbate. At low degrees of occupation, the adsorption isotherms of (CH3)2CHOH are described by an equation of induced adsorption whose parameters are dependent on the plasma-chemical treatments. It is concluded that adsorbed isopropanol particles exist in positively and negatively charged forms. The adsorption of cyclohexane is described by the Hill-de Boer equation for the initial ZnO surface, and by the Langmuir equation after plasma-chemical treatments.