Syllabus Application
MAT 401
Surface Chemistry
Faculty
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Semester
Fall 2025-2026
Course
MAT 401 -
Surface Chemistry
Time/Place
Time
Week Day
Place
Date
12:40-14:30
Tue
FENS-L029
Sep 29, 2025-Jan 3, 2026
08:40-09:30
Thu
FENS-L065
Sep 29, 2025-Jan 3, 2026
Level of course
Undergraduate
Course Credits
SU Credit:3, ECTS:6, Basic:4, Engineering:2
Prerequisites
NS 218
Corequisites
Course Type
Lecture
Instructor(s) Information
Gözde İnce
- Email: gozdeince@sabanciuniv.edu
Course Information
Catalog Course Description
External surfaces, clean surfaces, interfaces, the technique of surface science, surface diffraction, structure of clean surfaces, structure of adsorbed monolayers, surface thermodynamic functions, surface tension, surface heat capacity, surface energy, thermodynamics of adsorbed monolyers, surface atom vibrations, elementary processes of gas-surface interactions, electrical properties of surfaces, surface chemical bond, catalysis by surfaces.
Course Learning Outcomes:
| 1. | * describe the difference between a surface and an interface, list the conditions for a clean surface and calculate the amount of molecules/atoms on the surface for a given vacuum condition. |
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| 2. | * write surface thermodynamic functions, define surface tension in terms of thermodynamic functions and relate the surface curvature to surface tension. |
| 3. | * describe different types of surface atom interactions, distinguish between physisorption and chemisorption and list the conditions for physisorption. |
| 4. | * describe the differences between dissociative, nondissociative and competitive chemisorptions and define sticking coefficient in terms of chemisorbed species. |
| 5. | * describe different surface reaction mechanisms which involve more than one species. |
| 6. | * define adsorption isotherms, describe and compare Langmuir and BET isotherms. |
| 7. | * write down the rate equation for first order and second order desorption mechanisms and compare the two cases. |
| 8. | * describe the effects of surface forces on bond formation and bond breaking between the surface atoms and adsorbates. |
| 9. | * describe the band structure and electronic states for surfaces and explain adsorption induced charge transfer. |
| 10. | * explain probes used for surface characterization techniques, list several of these techniques and describe the differences between bulk characterization vs surface characterization techniques. |
| 11. | * compare heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis reactions on the surface, effects of surface active sites on the catalytic action and write the reaction kinetics for a simple catalytic reaction on the surface. |
Course Objective
To introduce different types of surfaces and chemical and physical mechanisms active on these surfaces relevant to current research problems.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Related to This Course:
| Affordable and Clean Energy | |
| Life Below Water | |
| Life On Land |