270295 VO Processes at solid surfaces (2007S)

Reactions at interfaces include the processes that lie at the heart of biology and chemical technology. Processes at solid surfaces govern the viability of industry both constructively, as in catalysis, and destructively, as in corrosion. Chemical reactions at solid surfaces may differ sharply from reactions in the bulk, for reaction pathways of much lower activation energy may be provided, and hence result in catalysis. The concept of a solid surface has been extended in recent years with the availability of new nanoscale investigation techniques. In this introductory lecture we address (1) surface structure, (2) adsorption, (3) transition from bulk solid to surfaces, (4) the electronic structure, and (5) optical properties of interfaces. We concern both fundamentals of solid-liquid interfacial chemistry and the extent to which a surface is covered and the variation of the extent of coverage with the pressure and temperature. This material is used to discuss how surfaces affect the rate and course of chemical change by acting as the site of catalysis.