Theory of Physical Adsorption

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the aspects of the statistical thermodynamical theory of physical adsorption, describes the present state of the theory of physical adsorption, starting with the simplest case of essentially independent molecules on a surface and then considers monolayer adsorption with interactions and multilayer adsorption, and the thermodynamics of adsorption. The interaction of an adsorbed molecule with the adsorbent is the sum of the separate interactions of the adsorbed molecule with the atoms or molecules of the adsorbent in the immediate neighborhood of the adsorbed molecule. There is no longer any uncertainty about the relations between the two-component (adsorbent plus adsorbed molecules) point of view of solution thermodynamics, leading naturally to differential quantities, and the one-component (adsorbed molecules) point of view of adsorption thermodynamics, leading naturally to the molar quantities of more direct statistical mechanical interest.