ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses hydrophobicity and the surface energy of solids and liquids 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 is provided by considering the amphiphilic nature of surfactant molecules. 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. A molecule approaching a surface may experience a net attractive force and consequently become trapped or confined at the surface. Such a species is called the adsorbate, and adsorption is the physical process by which adsorbate molecules accumulate onto a solid surface. Solid substrates can be chemically modified so that adsorption can be selective.
