Abstract
Photoemission studies have been conducted for several hydrogen‐bonded and non‐hydrogen‐bonded substances using uv radiation from a mercury arc. Only the hydrogen‐bonded substances showed measurable photoemission. The photoemission current was generally similar for the liquid and solid phases near the melting point, decreasing with decreasing temperature and vanishing at a temperature well below the melting point. The photoactivity threshold lies between 4.9 and 6.7 eV for the photoactive substances studied. The temperature dependence of the photoactivity supports the case for the existence of a quasiliquid layer on the surface of hydrogen‐bonded solids, the layer being stable to temperatures well below the bulk melting temperature.

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