Chemical Reactivity in Monolayers.

Even in ancient times it was noted that films of oil could affect the nature of water surfaces, for example, breaking up waves in stormy seas. But quantitative studies of films of oil on water were not really made until the middle of the 19th century when it was found (Quincke, 1869) (1), (Plateau, 1873) (2) that measurements of the surface tension of water were poorly reproducible. In 1890, Agnes Pockels (3) made an important contribution to the study of surface oil films. [...