Chapter 7 Computational Molecular Science Research Team

7.2 Research Activities 7.2.1 Development of original molecular theory An atomicand molecular-level understanding of drug actions and the mechanisms of a variety of chemical reactions will provide insight for developing new drugs and materials. Although a number of diverse experimental methods have been developed, it still remains difficult to investigate the state of complex molecules and to follow chemical reactions in detail. Therefore, a theoretical molecular science that can predict the properties and functions of matter at the atomic and molecular levels by means of molecular theoretical calculations is keenly awaited as a replacement for experiment. Theoretical molecular science has recently made great strides due to progress in molecular theory and computer development. However, it is still unsatisfactory for practical applications. Consequently, our main goal is to realize an updated theoretical molecular science by developing a molecular theory and calculation methods to handle large complex molecules with high precision under a variety of conditions. To achieve our aim, we have so far developed several methods of calculation. Examples include a way for resolving a significant problem facing conventional methods of calculation, in which the calculation volume increases dramatically when dealing with larger molecules; a way for improving the precision of calculations in molecular simulations; and a way for high-precision calculation of the properties of molecules containing heavy atoms such as metal atoms.