Molecular modeling and nanomaterials design

Students get acquainted with an important tool in current scientific research - the computer molecular modeling. The major part of the course is devoted to the theory of molecular simulations using force fields, i.e., the molecular mechanics and the classical molecular dynamics, but attention is also paid to Monte Carlo methods and mesoscale methods. The next part is devoted to the specific use of molecular mechanics and dynamics in the research and development of nanomaterials, emphasizing the synergy of molecular modeling and experiment to understand the relation between structure and properties. The previous knowledge of students in the field of instrumental analysis is complemented and extended by other possibilities of characterization of nanomaterials. Lectures are supplemented by many examples from the contemporary scientific literature, but also from the scientific practice. The course includes practical exercises in which students apply the acquired knowledge in the field of molecular modeling to solving practical problems.