Читать книгу Astrobiology - Charles S. Cockell - Страница 46

We have shown how atoms and molecules can be held together by ionic and covalent bonding. There are two other types of bonding that play a crucial role in holding matter together and take prominent roles in life. These two bonding types are generally involved in bonding between molecules. These bonds are generally much weaker than ionic or covalent bonds. They are van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding. We first examine van der Waals interactions.

Sometimes also called van der Waals forces, these van der Waals interactions are in the order of a hundred times less strong than covalent bonds. Nevertheless, they are essential in biological systems.

There are three categories of van der Waals forces.