Particle monolayers formed under irreversible conditions: jamming coverages and structure

The random sequential adsorption (RSA) approach was used for modelling irreversible adsorption phenomena of polyatomic particles at homogeneous interfaces. Particles of spherical and spheroidal shape, characterised by various axis ratio parameter A, were considered. In the latter case, the flat (side-on) and unoriented adsorption was discussed. The sticking probability (available surface function) was determined for various particle shapes together with “jamming” coverages for clean and precovered surfaces. The structure of adsorbed particle monolayers (under transient and jammed states) was analysed quantitatively in terms of the pair correlation functions. Methods of extrapolation of these results to interacting (soft) particle systems were also discussed. The theoretical predictions were confronted with existing experimental results derived for monodisperse spherical particles. A good agreement with theory was found both in respect of jamming coverages and the monolayer structure. These theoretical and experimental studies demonstrated that minor amounts of small particles (nanometer size range) exert decisive influence on adsorption of larger particles. This phenomenon can be treated as analogous to the surface poisoning effect occurring in heterogeneous catalytic systems. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.