CHAPTER 7
Fundamentals of Surface
Nanoscience
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Surfaces and interfaces occur everywhere in nature, from the membranes
surrounding biological cells to the multitude of particles within the vast
expanses of the oceans. Surfaces play a key role in nanoscience since they
are often used as platforms for the growth of nanomaterials. Therefore,
understanding nanomaterials requires understanding important elements of surface science. Interfaces represent the two-dimensional plane
between two distinct regions of matter, whether in different phases (e.g.,
the interfaces between glass and water) or in the same phase but of different compositions (e.g., oil and water). Surfaces are a subtype of
interface where one of the bulk phases is a gas, usually air. Physical and
chemical processes occurring at interfaces tend to be very different from
corresponding processes in the bulk phase as such processes are confined
to a region with one nanoscale dimension (i.e., a 2D nanomaterial). For
instance, the hydrophobic effect influences chemistry at surfaces and is
often responsible for the formation of films of nanoscale thickness. In this
chapter, a consideration of hydrophobicity and the surface energy of
solids and liquids will lead to a discussion of contact angles and wetting
phenomena. This naturally leads to a discussion of self-assembled
monolayers and adsorption phenomena. An understanding of how
intermolecular interactions influence the adsorption and aggregation of
molecules into nanostructures (such as micelles) is provided by considering the amphiphilic nature of surfactant molecules.
Fundamentals of Surface
Nanoscience
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Surfaces and interfaces occur everywhere in nature, from the membranes
surrounding biological cells to the multitude of particles within the vast
expanses of the oceans. Surfaces play a key role in nanoscience since they
are often used as platforms for the growth of nanomaterials. Therefore,
understanding nanomaterials requires understanding important elements of surface science. Interfaces represent the two-dimensional plane
between two distinct regions of matter, whether in different phases (e.g.,
the interfaces between glass and water) or in the same phase but of different compositions (e.g., oil and water). Surfaces are a subtype of
interface where one of the bulk phases is a gas, usually air. Physical and
chemical processes occurring at interfaces tend to be very different from
corresponding processes in the bulk phase as such processes are confined
to a region with one nanoscale dimension (i.e., a 2D nanomaterial). For
instance, the hydrophobic effect influences chemistry at surfaces and is
often responsible for the formation of films of nanoscale thickness. In this
chapter, a consideration of hydrophobicity and the surface energy of
solids and liquids will lead to a discussion of contact angles and wetting
phenomena. This naturally leads to a discussion of self-assembled
monolayers and adsorption phenomena. An understanding of how
intermolecular interactions influence the adsorption and aggregation of
molecules into nanostructures (such as micelles) is provided by considering the amphiphilic nature of surfactant molecules.