This paper is dedicnted to Professor John C. Polunyi on the occasion of his 65th birthday J. HEIDBERG, E. KAMPSHOFF, R. KUHNEMUTH, and 0. SCHONEKAS. Can. J. Chem. 72, 795 (1994).Two-dimensional sublimation of C 0 2 on NaC1(100), prepared by cleaving a single crystal in situ under ultrahigh vacuum, was observed by polarization Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. At the transition pressure pl(T) < 1 x lo-'' mbar in the temperature range 45 < T/K < 75 the 2D solid and the ideal 2D lattice gas coexist in a 2D thermodynamic equilibrium.The temperature dependence of the spreading pressure z(T) of the coexisting 2D lattice gas yields the enthalpy of the 2D sublimation AH: D = (3.0 i 0.1) kJImol. In the two-dimensional sublimation reorientation of the C 0 2 molecules takes place; both the polar and the azimuthal molecular angles change.J. HEIDBERG, E. KAMPSHOFF, R. KUHNEMUTH et 0 . SCHONEKAS. Can. J. Chem. 72, 795 (1994). On a observC, par spectroscopie infrarouge i transformation de fourier polarisee, la sublim?tion bi-dimensionnelle du C 0 2 sur du NaCl(100) prCparC par clivage in situ d'un cristal unique sous vide tri's poussi. A la pression de transition p,(T) < 1 x lo-'' mbar dans l'intervalle de tempirature allant de 45 < T/K < 75 le solide 2D et le rCseau 2D gazeux idCal coexistent dans un Cquilibre thermodynamique 2D. L'effet de la tempirature sur 1'Ctalement de la pression z(T) des rCseaux 2D gazeux coexistants donne l'enthalpie de la sublimation 2D AH: D = (3,O i 0,l) kJImol. I1 se produit une rkorientation des molCcules de C 0 2 dans la sublimation bi-dimensionnelle; les deux angles polaire et azimutale changent.[Traduit par la redaction] Introduction In physisorption, the weak interaction between molecules and solids has been studied for many years. A new topic is the stereodynamics of chemical reactions between surface-aligned and oriented physisorbed molecules (1). This paper reports on the thermodynamics of a two-dimensional phase transition with molecular reorientation as revealed by polarization infrared spectroscopy. The system studied is C 0 2 physisorbed on NaC1(100), which can be considered a model for physisorption. It has become important also in geology, in sea spray chemistry, as well as in industrial applications and waste technology. Rock salt in the extended North German salt domes contains, besides the brine inclusions and water from the associated hydrated minerals, primary gases adsorbed on the crystal boundaries or trapped in inclusions. Knowledge of the behaviour of such primary gases as C02, CH4, H20, and HCl is essential when planning the safety aspects for a final repository of radioactive waste in the salt domes (2). To model the behaviour of these simple gases in the salt domes, studies of the gas adsorption on NaCl(100) under well-defined conditions are necessary. Especially those thermodynamic measurements yielding adsorption isotherms, heats of adsorption, and twodimensional phase transitions give insight into the gas-surface interaction. The results can also be used to desc...