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

Potential Due to a Polarized Object01:29

Potential Due to a Polarized Object

A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
Molecular Shape and Polarity03:37

Molecular Shape and Polarity

Dipole Moment of a Molecule
Intermolecular Forces03:13

Intermolecular Forces

Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion...
Intermolecular Forces03:13

Intermolecular Forces

Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion...
Induced Electric Dipoles01:28

Induced Electric Dipoles

A permanent electric dipole orients itself along an external electric field. This rotation can be quantified by defining the potential energy because the external torque does work in rotating it. Then, the potential energy is minimum at the parallel configuration and maximum at the antiparallel configuration. While the former is a stable equilibrium, the latter is an unstable equilibrium.
Since the absolute value of potential energy holds no physical meaning, its zero value can be chosen as per...
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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Evaluating Polarizable Biomembrane Simulations against Experiments.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2024
Same author

Overlay databank unlocks data-driven analyses of biomolecules for all.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

Dielectric Effects on Ion Transport in Polyelectrolyte Brushes.

ACS macro letters·2022
Same author

Rotational decoupling between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions in lipid membranes.

Biophysical journal·2021
Same author

Particle-particle particle-mesh algorithm for electrolytes between charged dielectric interfaces.

The Journal of chemical physics·2021
Same author

Using Open Data to Rapidly Benchmark Biomolecular Simulations: Phospholipid Conformational Dynamics.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies
07:31

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Polarizable force fields.

Hanne S Antila1, Emppu Salonen

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This chapter reviews common methods for electronic polarization in molecular mechanics force fields, like induced point dipole and fluctuating charge models. It highlights their importance in biomolecular simulations and recent advancements in polarizable force fields.

More Related Videos

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

Rapid in-silico Battery Electrolyte Electrochemical Reaction Generation using 3T-VASP Multi-Scale Energy Minimization
05:37

Rapid in-silico Battery Electrolyte Electrochemical Reaction Generation using 3T-VASP Multi-Scale Energy Minimization

Published on: August 22, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies
07:31

Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies

Published on: September 1, 2023

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

Rapid in-silico Battery Electrolyte Electrochemical Reaction Generation using 3T-VASP Multi-Scale Energy Minimization
05:37

Rapid in-silico Battery Electrolyte Electrochemical Reaction Generation using 3T-VASP Multi-Scale Energy Minimization

Published on: August 22, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Computational Chemistry
  • Molecular Modeling
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Molecular mechanics force fields are essential for biomolecular simulations.
  • Standard force fields often neglect electronic polarization, limiting accuracy.
  • Polarization effects significantly influence molecular interactions and properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of common methods for incorporating electronic polarization into molecular mechanics force fields.
  • To discuss the significance of polarization effects in biomolecular simulations.
  • To highlight key developments in polarizable biomolecular force fields.

Main Methods:

  • Review of induced point dipole models.
  • Review of shell models.
  • Review of fluctuating charge models.

Main Results:

  • Common methods for explicit electronic polarization in molecular mechanics force fields are presented.
  • The critical role of polarization in accurate biomolecular simulations is emphasized.
  • Key achievements in developing polarizable biomolecular force fields are showcased.

Conclusions:

  • Explicit inclusion of electronic polarization enhances the accuracy of molecular mechanics force fields.
  • Polarizable force fields are crucial for reliable biomolecular simulations.
  • Continued development in polarizable force fields promises more accurate molecular modeling.