Desorption is the opposite of the phenomenon called adsorption, in which the molecules are adsorbed or attached to the surface rather than going into the bulk.
Desorption refers to that physical phenomenon in which the previously attached or adsorbed substance is detached or released from a surface.
A phenomenon like desorption can only happen when the substance on the surface gains enough energy to overcome the activation barrier or the bounding force that keeps it adsorbed or attached on the said surface.
Some known types of desorption techniques are:
Thermal Desorption
Reductive Desorption
Oxidative Desorption
Photon activated Desorption
IR photodesorption
Electron Stimulated Desorption
The different types of desorption techniques are due to the different kinds of bonds with which the substance was adsorbed or bound to the surface.
Final Answer:
Desorption refers to the physical phenomenon in which a substance is released from the surface of another.
