Author Description

Van der Waals' famous thesis on the study of intermolecular forces is now more than hundred years old. Important developments of our knowledge in this field, especially in the very strong cohesion force of the hydrogen bond, have been obtained both from theoretical and experimental research. Hydrogen bonds exert a profound influence on all physical and chemical properties of the materials where they are formed. An Erasmus course was organised at the University of Leuven, Belgium, in 1989 to bring together scientists from theoretical and experimental research. This book contains these lectures, adapted and extended by supplementary articles for a larger audience.