The theory of two-layer adsorption with correlation in the first layer
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
The adsorption of gaseous molecules in a monolayer on solid surfaces has been studied theoretically by several workers, namely Fowler, Peierls and Wang. They have shown that the adsorption isotherm exhibits critical phenomena if there is assumed to be an attractive force between the neighbouring adsorbed molecules, and this has provided an explanation of the critical condensation phenomena observed in deposition experiments, for example those of Cockcroft on the deposition of cadmium on copper. The actual critical phenomena observed consist in the deposition of many layers which are formed if the first layer has fairly started. It is of interest, therefore, to consider if there are other ways in which critical phenomena can arise than through interactions in the first layer. The general problem of adsorption of an arbitrary number of layers is too complicated to study because of the mathematical difficulty in constructing the partition function. We therefore confine ourselves to the consideration of adsorption in two layers only.
* Fowler, , Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 32 (1936), 144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
‡ Peierls, , Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 32 (1936), 471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
‡ Wang, , Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 161 (1937), 127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
§ Cockcroft, , Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 119 (1928), 293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
∥ Cernuschi, , Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 34 (1938), 392CrossRefGoogle Scholar. My thanks are due to Prof. Fowler for allowing me to read Cernuschi's paper before publication.
* Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 150 (1935), 552.Google Scholar