Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Van der Waals Interactions01:24

Van der Waals Interactions

Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.Polar molecules have a partial positive charge on one end and a partial negative charge on the other end of the molecule,...
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
The Van der Waals Equation01:26

The Van der Waals Equation

The ideal gas law is based on two simplifying assumptions: first, that there are no intermolecular attractions between gas molecules, and second, that the volume occupied by the molecules themselves is negligible compared with the volume of the container. However, these assumptions don't hold up under all conditions - specifically, at high pressures and low temperatures, as gas tends to deviate from ideal gas behavior.The van der Waals equation is an enhanced version of the ideal gas law,...
Van der Waals Equation01:10

Van der Waals Equation

The ideal gas law is an approximation that works well at high temperatures and low pressures. The van der Waals equation of state (named after the Dutch physicist Johannes van der Waals, 1837−1923) improves it by considering two factors.
First, the attractive forces between molecules, which are stronger at higher densities and reduce the pressure, are considered by adding to the pressure a term equal to the square of the molar density multiplied by a positive coefficient a. Second, the volume...
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties02:56

Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties

Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

When a body is in motion, it encounters resistance because the body interacts with its surroundings. This resistance is known as friction, a common yet complex force whose behavior is still not completely understood. Friction opposes relative motion between systems in contact, but also allows us to move. Friction arises in part due to the roughness of surfaces in contact. For one object to move along a surface, it must rise to where the peaks of the surface can skip along the bottom of the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Water doping sodium battery electrolyte controls nanostructure, interactions, and electrochemical properties.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Adsorption of Surfactants and Polymers to Biomimetic Hair Model Surfaces.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026
Same author

Lipid self-assembly dependence on hyaluronic acid size reveals biolubrication and osteoarthritic degeneration mechanisms.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Progress and future outlook towards a safe and sustainable production and use of chemicals.

Communications chemistry·2025
Same author

Self-assembly of microscale architectures with nanoscale inclusions.

Nanoscale horizons·2025
Same author

Multimodal structural humidity-response of cellulose nanofibril foams derived from wood and upcycled cotton textiles.

Carbohydrate polymers·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
04:57

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials

Published on: July 18, 2025

Superlubricity using repulsive van der Waals forces.

Adam A Feiler1, Lennart Bergström, Mark W Rutland

  • 1Division of Surface Chemistry, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|February 19, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Repulsive van der Waals forces between surfaces prevent contact, leading to extremely low friction and supersliding. Tuning these forces with liquid refractive index controls friction levels in this novel approach.

More Related Videos

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
07:18

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method

Published on: June 14, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
04:57

Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials

Published on: July 18, 2025

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
13:57

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
07:18

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method

Published on: June 14, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Surface science
  • Tribology
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Friction is a ubiquitous force opposing motion between surfaces.
  • Understanding and controlling friction at the nanoscale is crucial for developing advanced materials and devices.
  • Existing methods often involve lubricants or surface modifications, but novel approaches are sought.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of repulsive van der Waals forces in friction.
  • To demonstrate a method for achieving supersliding by precluding surface contact.
  • To explore the tunability of friction by altering intersurface forces.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing colloid probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure forces and friction.
  • Employing a gold-coated sphere on an AFM cantilever interacting with a Teflon surface.
  • Experimenting with cyclohexane as a medium and varying its refractive index.

Main Results:

  • A repulsive van der Waals force was observed in cyclohexane, diverging at short separations.
  • This repulsive force precluded solid-solid contact, resulting in supersliding.
  • Friction coefficients as low as 0.0003 were achieved, comparable to the lowest recorded in liquid.
  • Tuning the liquid's refractive index shifted the force from repulsive to attractive, increasing friction.

Conclusions:

  • Repulsive van der Waals forces are highly effective in eliminating friction.
  • Supersliding can be achieved by engineering repulsive intersurface forces.
  • The friction of surfaces can be precisely controlled by tuning the van der Waals interactions through the surrounding medium.