What is the difference between physical and chemical adsorption?

Physisorption, also called physical adsorption, is a process in which the electronic structure of the atom or molecule is barely perturbed upon adsorption. Chemisorption is a kind of adsorption which involves a chemical reaction between the surface and the adsorbate. New chemical bonds are generated at the adsorbant surface. Examples include macroscopic phenomena that can be very obvious, like corrosion, and subtler effects associated with heterogeneous catalysis.

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Physical adsorption (Physisorption) occurs due to weak attraction of charges between atoms in different molecules. It is temporary effect. For example : Vanderwaals attraction. Chemical adsorption (Chemisorption) occurs due to mere intermolecular interaction between atoms in different molecules. Some of them are temporary and some are permanent. For example : Ion-Dipole interaction.

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