Editing Surface science (section)

{{short description|Study of physical and chemical phenomena that occur at the interface of two phases}}
{{for|the journal|Surface Science (journal)}}

[[Image:Selfassembly Organic Semiconductor Trixler LMU.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Scanning tunneling microscope|STM]] image of a [[quinacridone]] [[adsorbate]]. The [[self-assembly|self-assembled]] [[supramolecular]] chains of the [[organic semiconductor]] are adsorbed on a [[graphite]] surface.]]
'''Surface science''' is the study of [[physics|physical]] and [[chemistry|chemical]] phenomena that occur at the [[interface (chemistry)|interface]] of two [[phase (matter)|phases]], including [[solid]]–[[liquid]] interfaces, solid–[[gas]] interfaces, solid–[[vacuum]] interfaces, and [[liquid]]–[[gas]] interfaces. It includes the fields of ''[[surface chemistry]]'' and ''[[surface physics]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Prutton | first=Martin | title=Introduction to Surface Physics
| publisher=Oxford University Press | date=1994 | isbn=978-0-19-853476-1 }}</ref> Some related practical applications are classed as [[surface engineering]]. The science encompasses concepts such as [[heterogeneous catalysis]], [[semiconductor device fabrication]], [[fuel cell]]s, [[self-assembled monolayer]]s, and [[adhesive]]s. Surface science is closely related to [[interface and colloid science]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Luklema | first=J. | title=Fundamentals of Interface and Colloid Science | publisher=Academic Press | date=1995–2005 | volume=1–5 }}</ref> Interfacial chemistry and physics are common subjects for both. The methods are different. In addition, interface and colloid science studies [[macroscopic]] [[phenomena]] that occur in [[heterogeneous]] systems due to peculiarities of interfaces.