Overview: The problem of molecules interacting with metal surfaces has for a very long time been recognized to be of considerable technological as well as fundamental importance. Thus in the former category, a substantial number of important synthetic reactions for industrial purposes make use of metal surfaces as catalysts. Or again, problems of corrosion of metals are of great practical importance, such as in nuclear-reactor technology [see, for instance, my earlier articles, in: Physics Bulletin, Volume 25, p. 582, Institute of Physics, UK (1974); and in: Physics and Contemporqry Needs (Ria
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