adsorption and surface reaction
Quick Summary
Adsorption is the process where molecules of gases or solutions gather on the surface of a solid or liquid. This is different from absorption, where a substance penetrates the interior of a material. Adsorption can be physical, driven by weak van der Waals forces, or chemical, involving specific chemical bonds.12
Surface reactions are a key aspect of adsorption. The outermost layer of a material, its surface, has different properties than its bulk because surface particles have fewer neighbors. This difference is crucial for phenomena like catalysis and adhesion. Adhesion is the attractive force between two different substances in contact, while cohesion is the force holding similar substances together.34
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.