Cohesion and Structure of Surfaces

During the past fifteen years there has been a dramatic increase in the numberof different surfaces whose structures have been determined experimentally. Forexa... » 

During the past fifteen years there has been a dramatic increase in the numberof different surfaces whose structures have been determined experimentally. Forexample whereas in 1979 there were only 25 recorded adsorption structures todate there are more than 250. This volume is therefore a timely review of thestateoftheart in this dynamic field.Chapter one contains a compilation of the structural data base on surfaceswithin a series of tables that allows direct comparison of structuralparameters for related systems. Experimental structural trends amongst bothclean surfaces and adsorbate systems are highlighted and discussed.The next chapter outlines the successes of local density functional theory inpredicting the relaxations and reconstructions of clean metal and semiconductorsurfaces and the behaviour of adsorbates such as hydrogen oxygen and alkalielements on metal surfaces thereby explaining some of the experimental trendsobserved within the database. These ab initio density functional calculationsare of ground state properties at the absolute zero of temperature.Chapter three provides an introduction to finite temperature effects in apedagogical review of current statistical mechanical treatments of phasetransitions at surfaces many of which display the prominent role offluctuations or nonmean field behaviour.The final chapter discusses the relationship of the reactivity of a surface toits morphology and composition which is particularly relevant to a fundamentalunderstanding of catalysis. «