Effect of adsorption of vapours on the electrical conductivity of a series of some naphthyl polyenes: Adsorption and desorption kinetics

This paper deals with the change in semiconductivity of a series of naphthyl polyenes of the type R-(CHCH)_n-R, where R stands for the naphthyl group and n = 1–6, on adsorption of vapours of some organic solvents at a constant sample temperature. Appreciable enhancement in the conductivity is observed. Such enhancement depends on the chemical nature of the solvent and also on the vapour pressure. The desorption is much slower than that of adsorption. Both the adsorption and desorption kinetics follow the modified Roginsky-Zeldovich relation. Kinetics for the compounds having odd-n is distinctly different from those with even-n. The results show that in all these vapour-semiconductor systems, the adsorption is a two-stage process.