Torn crystal reveals interlayer van der Waals forces

Tearing apart a crystal made of atomically thin layers has allowed researchers to measure and tweak interlayer van der Waals forces for the first time. Although intermolecular forces are weak compared with covalent bonds, they allow geckos to stick to windows and are responsible for water’s unusually high boiling point, compared with other group 16 hydrides – a fact that might be the basis for life on Earth. Only last year the van der Waals attraction between individual atoms was measured for the first time.