<< Van der Waals is a weak force that allows neutral molecules to attract one another through randomly fluctuating dipoles, depending on distance. Though small, its effects can be seen in the macro world, like when geckos walk up walls. >>
<< Van der Waals forces are everywhere and, essentially, at the nanoscale everything is sticky, (..) When you put a large, flat particle on a large, flat surface, there's a lot of contact, and it's enough to permanently deform a particle that's really thin and flexible. >>
Matt Jones.
<< the ubiquitous, "weak" van der Waals force was sufficient to indent a rigid silver nanosheet. The phenomenon suggests possible applications in nanoscale optics or catalytic systems. >>
<< In further experiments, (..) nanospheres could be used to control the shape of the deformation, from single ridges when two spheres are close, to saddle shapes or isolated bumps when the spheres are farther apart. >>
Mike Williams. Weak force has strong impact on nanosheets. Rice University. Dec 15, 2020.
Sarah M. Rehn, Theodor M. Gerrard-Anderson, et al. Mechanical Reshaping of Inorganic Nanostructures with Weak Nanoscale Forces. Nano Lett. doi: 10.1021/ acs.nanolett.0c03383. Dec 10, 2020.
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keyword 'van der Waals' in FonT
