The computational molecular technology for complex reaction systems: The Red Moon approach

Abstract For dealing with complex reaction (CR) systems that show typical chemical phenomena in molecular aggregation states, the Red Moon (RM) approach is introduced based on a new efficient and systematic RM methodology. First, the theoretical background with my motivation to develop the RM approach is presented from the recent necessity to perform ‘atomistic’ molecular simulation of large‐scale and long‐term phenomena of (i) complex chemical reactions, (ii) stereospecificity, and (iii) aggregation structures. The RM methodology uses both the molecular dynamics (MD) method for molecular motions (translation, rotation, and vibration of molecules) that frequently occur on a short‐time scale and the Monte Carlo (MC) method for rare events such as chemical reactions that hardly do on that time scale. Then, under the transition rate using both the potential energy difference before and after a rare event trial and its chemical kinetic probability, it is tested and judged by the MC method whether the trial is possible (Metropolis method). Next, typical applications of the RM approach are reviewed in two main research fields, (i) polymerization and (ii) storage battery (rechargeable battery or secondary cell), with various examples of our successful studies. Finally, we conclude that the RM approach using the RM methodology should become an efficient new‐generation approach as one promising computational molecular strategy (CMT). We believe it will play an essential role in surveying, at the multilevel resolution, various specificities of CR systems in molecular aggregation states. This article is categorized under: Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics Structure and Mechanism > Reaction Mechanisms and Catalysis Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Dynamics and Monte‐Carlo Methods