Surface Physics: An Introduction

There is a growing interest in fundamental studies of surfaces, stimulated in part by the advent of new experimental techniques capable of characterizing the surface of a microscopic level, and in part by the relevance of research on surfaces to some very practical problems facing our technological society. These problems are found in areas such as heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion, embrittlement, photocells and many solid‐state electronic devices. A good example is methanation, in which methane is produced via the reaction of ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ and CO with a metal catalyst. Although this simple reaction is of great practical importance, the mechanism underlying it is not known, and the reasons for nickel’s outstanding specificity to methane are not understood.

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