Van der Waals radii and their application in chemistry

Published systems of van der Waals radii (VR) have been examined and compared. The many ways of using VR in various branches of chemistry, in particular in crystal chemistry, stereochemistry, and X-ray diffraction (primarily to describe and interpret molecular conformations and crystal structures and to determine new structures) have been analysed. Particular attention has been paid to the detection of specific non-valence interactions (both inter- and intramolecular). Various structural-biological problems, in particular the production of 'incorrect' pairs of bases in DNA and the use of VR to explain the physicochemical properties of substances, have been examined. The properties of crystals determined by the effective volume, dimensions, and shape of the molecules, and the characteristic features of the structures of inclusion compounds, clathrates, and organic conductors, have been discussed. The use of VR to investigate the mechanism and predict the possibility of various chemical reactions has been described. The bibliography contains 173 references.