Dynamic Aspects of Intermolecular Interactions

Abstract

Interactions between atoms are traditionally classified as intramolecular or intermolecular, depending in part on the range of distances between atomic centres. The dynamics of intramolecular interactions in aspects ‘molecular vibrations’ and intramolecular rearrangement or isomerisation are well characterised, but dynamics of intermolecular interactions are less appreciated by chemists, even though related structural aspects are well established. Here I discuss dynamics of intermolecular interactions for systems of varied size, from a simple case involving only two atoms, through more complicated systems involving familiar organic molecular units, to novel extended inorganic systems. An objective is to relate structural and physical properties to a dynamic nature of intermolecular interactions.