Theories of wetting of liquids on solid surfaces under the condition that van der Waals force is dominant are briefly reviewed. We show theoretically that Zisman’s empirical equation for wetting of liquids on solid surfaces is a linear approximation of the Young–van der Waals equation in the wetting region, and we express the two parameters in Zisman’s empirical equation in terms of the dielect...

After a brief introduction to the Ðeld of atom optics and to atomic mirrors, we present experimental results obtained in our group during the last two years while studying the reÑection of rubidium atoms by an evanescent wave. These involve the Ðrst measurement of the van der Waals force between an atom in its ground state and a dielectric wall, as well as the demonstration of a reÑection grati...

We present a first-principles method for the determination of the van der Waals interactions for a collection of finite-sized macroscopic bodies. The method is based on fluctuational electrodynamics and a rigorous multiple-scattering method for the electromagnetic field. As such, the method takes fully into account retardation, many-body, multipolar, and near-fields effects. By application of t...

Van der Waals (vdW) forces are the dominant interactions between neutral particles on nanometer-tomicrometer length scales. This makes their effects ubiquitous in physics, chemistry, and biology: they are, for instance, responsible for the action of detergents, the selfassembly of viruses, and even the ability of geckos to climb flat surfaces. Their existence was first proposed by Johannes Dide...

Through a study of the van der Waals interaction between a solid and an air-water interface, we investigate the practical and fundamental problem of the limiting height at which an object can approach a free surface. A numerical study of the interface shape reveals dependencies governed by two disparate length scales associated with the relative strengths of the van der Waals and bouyancy force...

In this work we show how the ab initio determination of van der Waals coefficients within time-dependent density functional theory can be used to build efficient and accurate atomistic models that describe the long-range interactions of proteins with other proteins and of proteins with semi-conducting surfaces. The model parameters are fitted so that they reproduce the ab initio van der Waals c...

The robotic manipulation of microscopic objects is disturbed directly by the adhesion between the endeffector and the objects. In the microscale, no reliable model of adhesion is available and currently the behaviour of the micro-objects cannot be predicted before experiments. This paper proposes a new model of adhesion based on the analytical resolution of the coupling between the mechanical d...

Objective(s): The novel 7-hydroxycoumarinyl gallates derivatives are detected in many pharmaceutical compounds like anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Whereas carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been discussed for nanomedicine applications and in particular as drug delivery systems. The capability of armchair (5, 5) SWCNT -based drug delivery system in the therapy of anticancer has been investigated...

It was recently suggested that the swelling of neutral multilipid bilayers upon addition of a salt can be simply explained only by the electrolyte screening of the van der Waals attractions, while assuming that the hydration force and the repulsion due to thermal undulations of membranes are unaffected by the salt. While we agree that the screening of the van der Waals interactions plays a role...