Ethanol cluster formation on silicon oxide surface in cyclohexane-ethanol binary liquids

Adsorption of ethanol onto silicon oxide surfaces from cyclohexane-ethanol binary liquids was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy using the attenuated t otal reflection (ATR) mode. ATR spectra exhibited that ethanol adsorbed on the surfaces formed clusters even in a low ethanol concentration range of 0 .1-0.5 mol% where practically no ethanol cluster formed in the bulk solutio ns. The spectra indicated that the cluster formation involved hydrogen bond ing interactions between surface silanol groups and ethanol hydroxyl groups in addition to those between ethanol hydroxyl groups.