Empirical relation between the adsorption properties of elements on gold surfaces and their volatility

A correlation is established between thermodynamic data for hypothetical macroscopic amounts of elements and experimentally accessible data on gold surfaces. The correlation between the experimentally determined standard adsorption enthalpies of elements on gold surfaces and their standard sublimation enthalpies is shown to be valid over a broad data range for various elements from light noble gases (Kr) up to heavy metals (Pb, Bi). This type of correlation is indispensable to derive thermodynamic data for macroscopic amounts of elements from results of adsorption chromatographic experiments with single atom amounts. It is also necessary to predict the behavior of single atoms from given or estimated thermochemical data. The conditions under which this correlation is valid are elaborated. Finally, predicted data for the elements 112 and 114 are used to link them to the corresponding sublimation or adsorption data. The obtained prediction intervals are of exceptional importance for the design of sophisticated experimental setups for the chemical investigation of transactinide elements on a single atom scale. (orig.)