Abstract
When they are adsorbed onto ideally polarizable electrodes, organic surfactants may condense into compact layers, within defined limits of potential, bulk activity and temperature. Thermodynamic considerations based on the surface free energy excess are useful in mapping the borderline of these domains, characterized by sharp transitions involving immiscible films. These films are of gaseous, liquid as well as quasi-solid nature, according to the systems and the circumstances. Phase transformation may proceed by various types of mechanisms. The nucleation and growth mechanism is discussed more specifically, with due consideration to the selection of methods leading to reliable data. Examples are produced, in order to illustrate to what extent the theoretical models are consonant with the experimental findings.
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