The high surface-to-volume ratio that is typical indoors makes surface chemistry and physics particularly important to the study of air quality in these environments. However, surface-mediated transformations in indoor environments are not adequately understood, largely because the surfaces involved are notoriously complex. Moreover, it is challenging to capture dynamic changes in real time and under ambient conditions. This Perspective presents a path to bridge this capability gap by reviewing recent developments in advanced instrumentation and collaborative work and discussing research opportunities that have the potential to contribute new chemical and physical insights into indoor surface processes. Mechanistic studies of idealized model surfaces and on surfaces of real-world indoor samples will help us better quantify sources and sinks of indoor air pollutants, improve the prediction of dynamic changes in indoor air quality, and open the door for the design of smart coatings or paints for controlling, mitigating, or preventing the potential negative outcomes of indoor air chemistry.

室内典型的高表面积体积比使表面化学和物理特性对于研究这些环境中的空气质量尤为重要。但是，室内环境中表面介导的转化还没有得到足够的了解，主要是因为所涉及的表面非常复杂。此外，实时并在环境条件下捕捉动态变化是挑战。该观点通过回顾先进仪器和协作工作的最新发展，并讨论有可能为室内表面过程提供新的化学和物理见解的研究机会，从而弥合了这种能力差距。