THE PARTITIONING OF SURFACTANTS FROM THE GAS SOLUTION INTERFACE ONTO AN ELECTRIFIED METAL SOLUTION INTERFACE

The spreading of long-chained aliphatic molecules from the gas-solutio n interface to an electrified gold-solution interface was studied. Thr ee low index planes of gold were used as the electrodes and the film p ressure at the metal-solution interface was determined by electrochemi cal means under equilibrium conditions. The spreading of the molecules from the gas-solution interface to the metal-solution interface was m easured and a strong dependence on electrode potential and electrode s urface morphology was found. Stressed (compressed) and unstressed (not compressed) monolayers were studied and compared. The stressed monola yer study suggested that the equilibrium for the spreading of molecule s between the gas-solution interface and metal-solution interface may be local in character.