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# Liquids that can auto-ionize show a p-n junction effect when adsorbed to surfaces
ABSTRACT: When the adsorbed phase of a liquid auto-ionizes by transfer of a hydrogen ion, the conjugate anion is locked into the adsorbed phase, while the hydrogen ion is free to move by diffusion. The diffusion current of the protons is opposed by a drift current within the electric field that forms as the adsorbate loses protons to the liquid and gets negatively charged. The equilibrium between these currents is a separation of charges into a negatively charged adsorbate with a positively charged layer of liquid on top of it. This effect is analogous to the charge polarization seen at the p-n junction in semiconductors like a diode or transistor.