A calculation of Van der Waals interactions in and between layers of atoms: application to graphite

A calculation of the Van der Waals binding energy between layers of a hexagonal layered structure is presented. The results are used to estimate the interlayer binding energy of graphite, using measured mean and derived anisotropic polarisabilities. The agreement with experimentally measured binding energy is satisfactory indicating that Van der Waals forces are indeed the dominant binding mechanism between layers.