On the effect of trace impurities at the air/water- and the mercury/water interface

An aqueous solution of 1 10^–4 Mn-octanoic acid containing 0.005 M hydrochloric acid and 0.1 M sodium chloride was used to demonstrate the influence of surface-active trace impurities on the air/water- and the mercury/water interface. The solution was purified stepwise to obtain states of successively growing surface-chemical purity. The effect of contamination at the air/water- and the mercury/water interface was followed simultaneously by monitoring the dynamic surface tension in the case of ad- and desorption and the differential capacity, respectively, at various stages of purity. The results give evidence that the effect of trace impurities at the air/solution surface is as important as at the mercury/solution interface.