Desorption of molecules from surfaces constitutes one of the fundamental processes of heterogeneous surface reactions. One of the major goals is to understand the energy flow in these adsorbate systems in order to gain a detailed understanding of the underlying processes.

Why is desorption necessary?

Desorption is important for a substance to act as a good catalyst so that after the reaction, the products formed on the surface separate out (desorbed) to create free surface again for other reactant molecules to approach the surface and react.

What is the significance of desorption in chemistry?

In chemistry, especially chromatography, desorption is the ability for a chemical to move with the mobile phase. The more a chemical desorbs, the less likely it will adsorb, thus instead of sticking to the stationary phase, the chemical moves up with the solvent front.