In surface science, selective adsorption is the effect when minima associated with bound-state resonances occur in specular intensity in atom-surface scattering.
In crystal growth, selective adsorption refers to the phenomenon where adsorbing molecules attach preferentially to certain crystal faces.
An example of selective adsorption can be demonstrated in the growth of Rochelle salt crystals. If copper ions are added to solution during the growth process, some crystal faces will slow down as copper apparently becomes a barrier to adsorption. However, by then adding sodium hydroxide to the solution, the preferred crystal faces will change once again.