ABSTRACT
Theoretical determination of intermolecular forces involves a cascade of calculations and approximations, which makes it very difficult to assess the validity of obtained results. This chapter provides a brief sketch of the available methods of studying intermolecular forces that were applied to biological adhesion or that seemed of potential interest in this domain. It reviews some basic results on interatomic or intermolecular forces in vacuum or in aqueous ionic solutions. The chapter describes some experimental methods of studying intermolecular forces. It considers sequentially long- and short-range interactions. The link between virial coefficients and intermolecular forces is provided by statistical mechanics. The liquid state theory provides a link between the thermodynamic properties of liquid and intermolecular forces. An important problem is the additivity of intermolecular potentials. The quantitative treatment of intermolecular forces at short and intermediate distances involves very heavy calculations that were made possible only with the availability of highspeed computers.
