Applications Of Density Functional Theory To Biological And Bioinorganic Chemistry

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It is difficult to overestimate the impact that density functional theory has had on computational quantum chemistry over the last two decades. Indeed, this period has seen it grow from little more than a theoreticalcuriosity to become a central tool in the computational chemist s armoury. Arguably no area of ch- istry has benefited more from the meteoric rise in density functional theory than inorganic chemistry. the ability to obtainreliable results in feasible ti- scales on systems containing heavy elements such as the d and f transition - tals has led to an enormous growth in computational inorganic chemistry. The inorganic chemical literature reflects this growth; it is almost impossible to open a modern inorganic chemistry journal without finding several papers devoted exclusively or in part to density functional theory calculations. The real imp- tance of the rise in density functional theory in inorganic chemistry is undou- edly the much closer synergy between theory and experiment than was p- viously posible. In these volumes, world-leading researchers describe recent developments in the density functional theory and its applications in modern inorganic and b- inorganic chemistry. These articles address key issues key issues in both sol- state and molecular inorganic chemistry, such as spectroscopy, mechanisms, catalysis, bonding and magnetism. The articles in volume I are more focussed on advances in density functional methodogy, while those in Volume II deal more with applications, although this is by no means a rigid distinction.

It is difficult to overestimate the impact that density functional theory has had on computational quantum chemistry over the last two decades. Indeed, this period has seen it grow from little more than a theoreticalcuriosity to become a central tool in the computational chemist s armoury. Arguably no area of ch- istry has benefited more from the meteoric rise in density functional theory than inorganic chemistry. the ability to obtainreliable results in feasible ti- scales on systems containing heavy elements such as the d and f transition - tals has led to an enormous growth in computational inorganic chemistry. The inorganic chemical literature reflects this growth; it is almost impossible to open a modern inorganic chemistry journal without finding several papers devoted exclusively or in part to density functional theory calculations. The real imp- tance of the rise in density functional theory in inorganic chemistry is undou- edly the much closer synergy between theory and experiment than was p- viously posible. In these volumes, world-leading researchers describe recent developments in the density functional theory and its applications in modern inorganic and b- inorganic chemistry. These articles address key issues key issues in both sol- state and molecular inorganic chemistry, such as spectroscopy, mechanisms, catalysis, bonding and magnetism. The articles in volume I are more focussed on advances in density functional methodogy, while those in Volume II deal more with applications, although this is by no means a rigid distinction.

E. Clot, O. Eisenstein: Agostic Interactions from a Computational Perspective: One Name, many Interpretations.- Robert J. Deet: Recent Developments in Computational Bioinorganic Chemistry.- E. Ruiz: Theoretical Study of the Exchange Coupling in Large Polynuclear Transition Metal Complexes Using DFT Methods.- D. Sánches-Portal, P. Ordejón, E. Canadell: Computing the Properties of Materials from First Principles with SIESTA.- F. Corà, M. Alfredsson, G. Mallia, D.S. Middlemiss, W.C. Mackrodt, R. Dovesi, R. Orlando: The Performance of Hybrid Density Functionals in Solid State Chemistry

Predicting molecular structure and energy and explaining the nature of bonding are central goals in quantum chemistry. With this book, the editors assert that the density functional (DF) method satisfies these goals and has come into its own as an advanced method of computational chemistry. The wealth of applications presented in the book, ranging from solid state sys tems and polymers to organic and organo-metallic molecules, metallic clus ters, and biological complexes, prove that DF is becoming a widely used computational tool in chemistry. Progress in the methodology and its imple mentation documented by the contributions in this book demonstrate that DF calculations are both accurate and efficient. In fact, the results of DF calculations may pleasantly surprise many chem ists. Even the simplest approximation of DF, the local spin density method (LSD), yields molecular structures typical of ab initio correlated methods. The next level of theory, the nonlocal spin density method, predicts the energies of molecular processes within a few kcallmol or less. Like the Hartree-Fock (HF) and configuration interaction (CI) methods, the DF method is based only on fundamental physical constants. Therefore, it does not require semiempirical parameters and can be applied to any molecular system and to metallic phases. However, DF's greatest advantage is that it can be applied to much larger systems than those approachable by tradition al ab initio methods, especially when compared with correlated ab initio methods.

Molecular Orbital Calculations for Biological Systems is a hands-on guide to computational quantum chemistry and its applications in organic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. With improvements in software, molecular modeling techniques are now becoming widely available; they are increasingly used to complement experimental results, saving significant amounts of lab time. Common applications include pharmaceutical research and development; for example, ab initio and semi-empirical methods are playing important roles in peptide investigations and in drug design. The opening chapters provide an introduction for the non-quantum chemist to the basic quantum chemistry methods, ab initio, semi-empirical, and density functionals, as well as to one of the main families of computer programs, the Gaussian series. The second part then describes current research which applies quantum chemistry methods to such biological systems as amino acids, peptides, and anti-cancer drugs. Throughout the authors seek to encourage biochemists to discover aspects of their own research which might benefit from computational work. They also show that the methods are accessible to researchers from a wide range of mathematical backgrounds. Combining concise introductions with practical advice, this volume will be an invaluable tool for research on biological systems.

Density functional theory (DFT) ranks as the most widely used quantum mechanical method and plays an increasingly larger role in a number of disciplines such as chemistry, physics, material, biology, and pharmacy. DFT has long been used to complement experimental investigations, while now it is also regarded as an indispensable and powerful tool for researchers of different fields. This book is divided into five sections that include original chapters written by experts in their fields: "Method Development and Validation," "Spectra and Thermodynamics," "Catalysis and Mechanism," "Material and Molecular Design," and "Multidisciplinary Integration." I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all contributors and recommend this book to both beginners and experienced researchers.