The theory of van der Waals attraction has a broad variety of applications. There are, first of all, the van der Waals gases, to which the name was first applied. The force responsible for the attraction between any two molecules is at the same time the origin of condensation and crystallization. There is a large class of van der Waals crystals. Van der Waals attraction further provides the basis of most structural and energetic effects in colloid chemistry and biology. Many important biological questions, including viral self-assembly, the energetics of muscle and the arrangement and mutual recognition of nucleic and proteic acids, require intensive investigations into the van der Waals attraction. Another very important field of van der Waals attraction is surface physics and chemistry. The physisorption of atoms, molecules, or small particles on solid surfaces, their migration due to variations of the surface properties, and the change in attraction between different particles caused by surface and bulk modes are fundamental problems underlying the vast field of catalysis. Let us finally refer to the large field of adhesion and its numerous implications on washing, dyeing, pouring and sliding, wetting, lubrication, powder compaction and pulverizing, and cold welding. It is a basic requirement of detergents that their dielectric properties diminish van der Waals attraction between clothing and dirt.
This book considers a number of questions concerning the theory of van der Waals attraction, including pair intera ctions, multiplet intera ctions, intera ctions of macroscopic particles, problems of retardation and retarded dispersion energy, quantum formalism for calculation of attraction, etc.