Stronger forces between fluorocarbon molecules make these substances excellent refrigerants. Adsorption of gases, surface tension, solubilities and solvent effects in chemical reactions all depend on intermolecular forces. Information about these forces can be obtained from compression expreriments on gases, critical point measurements, and heats of sublimation, solution and mixing. Measurement of the energy of the hydrogen bonding between water and benzene, and in similar mixtures. These energies are derived from measurements of the heat of mixing in the vapour phase, an experiment which is unique to Bristol.
Water vapour contains dimer, trimer and a little tetramer.
Alcohol vapours seem to contain dimer, tetramer and almost no trimer. A better understanding of these association equilibria is being sought. Faraday Trans . In part, this is due to the changed nature of water at high temperature. A general theory is being developed.