PREDATOR-PREY-LIKE BEHAVIOR OF THE CONDENSATION PROCESS IN 2-DIMENSIONAL ADSORBATE SYSTEMS

Two-dimensional nonfaradaic phase transitions on solid electrodes proc eed via nucleation and growth processes. Because of couplings and mutu al influences of the condensation process at the surface by the adsorp tion process of the expanded phase from the hulk to the surface, the m odeling of the nucleation and growth process presents a self-consisten t problem. An alternative way to solve this problem consists of iterat ed differentiations of the convolution integral describing the phase t ransition processes, Together with the balance equation for the expand ed phase one gets a closed system of four differential equations, whic h can be solved numerically for given initial conditions. On the basis of numerical simulations the role of the double-layer charging on the shape of current-time transients is discussed. These predictions are proofed by experimental data, measured in the system thymine/H2O/0.X M NaCl0(4).