Adsorption
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Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This process
Activated carbon is used as an adsorbent
Activated carbon nitrogen isotherm showing a marked microporous type I behavior
Silica gel adsorber for NO2, Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory, ca. 1930s
Physisorption
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Physisorption, also called physical adsorption, is a process in which the electronic structure of the atom or molecule is barely perturbed upon adsorption.
Adsorption
…attract adsorbates. The exact nature of the bonding depends on the details of the species involved, but the adsorption process is generally classified as physisorption (characteristic of weak van der Waals forces) or chemisorption (characteristic of covalent bonding). It may also occur due to electrostatic attraction…
Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of an adsorbed hydrogen atom near a perfect conductor interacting with its image charges.
Fig. 2. Calculated physisorption potential energy for He adsorbed on various jellium metal surfaces. Note that the weak van der Waals attraction forms shallow wells with the energy about few meV.
Ar alpha s data