Weak dispersive forces between glass and gold macroscopic surfaces in alcohols.

In this work we concentrate on an experimental validation of the Lifshitz theory for the van der Waals and the Casimir forces in gold-alcohol-glass systems. From this theory weak dispersive forces are predicted when the dielectric properties of the intervening medium become comparable to one of the interacting surfaces. Using inverse colloid probe atomic force microscopy dispersive forces were measured occasionally and under controlled conditions by addition of salt to screen the electrostatic double layer force if present.