It takes its name from the Dutch scientist Johannes Diderik Van Der Waals. He first discovered these forces in 1873 while working on a theory about the properties of real gases.Van der Waals interactions, like hydrogen bonds, are weak interactions between molecules. They happen between polar, covalently bound atoms in various molecules. Some of these weak attractions are caused by the formation of temporary partial charges as electrons move around a nucleus. In biological systems, these weak interactions between molecules are important.