Lateral molecular interaction on heterogeneous surfaces experimentally measured

Using inverse gas chromatography, the added to ε differential energy of adsorption due to lateral interactions of molecules adsorbed on a heterogeneous solid surface was determined. The method was applied to three gas/solid systems, namely, 1-butene/cadmium sulphide, ethane/calcium oxide, and trans-2-butene/marble. By plotting the dimensionless lateral interaction energy against time t in parallel with the energy distribution function against ε and t, the appearance of curves against t is quite similar in all three systems. This was explained on the basis of Bakaev and Steele model for adsorption sites, i.e. on the existence of three kinds of sites.