Chemisorption is adsorption involving chemical bonding between an adsorbate and a surface. It changes the electronic interaction more specifically than a description based only on weak physical attraction.
For example, a reacting molecule can bind to a metal surface before undergoing a catalytic transformation. Bond formation can impose activation barriers and site selectivity, but chemisorption is not universally irreversible. Distinguishing binding strength, adsorption rate, and subsequent reaction is necessary when interpreting a surface experiment.
Carbon-end bonding of CO to Pt can combine donation from a molecular sigma orbital with metal-to-CO pi back-donation. The resulting hybridization and local-potential changes can shift the Pt core binding energy and modify the molecule's vibrational spectrum. A measured core-level shift includes core-hole screening and does not uniquely specify a net transferred charge.
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Chemisorption, or chemical adsorption, is a process in which a gas or liquid molecule forms a strong chemical bond with a solid surface. This interaction typically involves the formation of covalent or ionic bonds, resulting in a more permanent attachment of the adsorbate (the molecule being absorbed) to the adsorbent (the solid surface).