Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) can have open pore structures with high surface areas and applications in hydrogen storage, carbon dioxide capture, water harvesting from air, chemical separations, and catalysis. The chemical structure of these crystalline solids can initially appear daunting. Simplification by considering the arrangement of the…

A thorough appreciation of the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in molecules is crucial for new students of chemistry and critical to students continuing their studies in chemistry. We discuss current use of molecular models in education and investigate a variety of techniques used over the years to introduce students to atomic orbitals.…

Torsional effects influence kinetic selectivity in a wide range of organic transformations. As such, textbooks commonly use Newman projections to illustrate the torsional effects that arise in their transition states. Unfortunately, these representations fall short when the reaction occurs "within a ring." In many cases, the torsional…

Visualization can be a motivating way to teach students about molecules. Nowadays, the available experimental data and accurate computational results allow students to build realistic and accurate molecular models. These models include the representation of complex systems such as proteins, membranes, or nanotubes. However, the visualization of…

In this paper, we describe a dynamic-model as a strategy to teach DNA transcription and translation in an active way. This activity aims to provide learning beyond memorisation through the simulation of molecular processes, stimulating the elaboration of questions and hypotheses by students. The dynamic consists of four steps, starting with…

Visualizations are useful tools for helping students to understand chemistry concepts at the particulate level. A classroom activity was developed based on learning theory and evidence-based practices, combining protein visualization with thermodynamic parameters from differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) data analysis. Coding of student…

A physical model has been designed to help students visualize concepts involved when solving infrared spectra. The physical model uses balls and springs to incorporate the harmonic oscillator model and Hooke's law to study dynamic vibrations within diatomic molecules. Various concepts are addressed with the model to abstract principles about how…

Molecular symmetry and orbitals are two important chemical concepts which can be difficult for students to visualize in three dimensions; as such, instructors have traditionally adopted a variety of approaches to teach them including the use of physical models and digital renderings/resources. This paper describes a new mobile device application…

Biology and biochemistry students must learn to visualize and comprehend the complex three-dimensional (3D) structures of macromolecules such as proteins or DNA. However, most tools available for teaching biomolecular structures typically operate in two dimensions. Here, we present protocols and pedagogical approaches for using immersive augmented…

The flow of materials and energy through society is an integral but poorly visible element of global sustainability agendas such as the Planetary Boundaries Framework and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). Given that the primary activities of chemistry are to analyze, synthesize, and transform matter, the practice of chemistry has a…

Understanding macromolecular structures is essential for biology education. Augmented reality (AR) applications have shown promise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, but are not widely used for protein visualization. While there are some tools for AR protein visualization, none of them are accessible to the…

At an advanced stage of learning quantum chemistry, undergraduate students usually encounter simple Hückel-molecular-orbital (HMO) theory, whose primitive approach gives very useful insight into the electronic structure of p-conjugated molecules. However, on one hand, computational HMO software, when programmed without using molecular symmetry,…

Facile visualization of biomolecules is an essential component of the undergraduate biochemistry curriculum. In the past, a number of tools have been used to display biomolecules. More recently, the advent of greater accessibility to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) programs has created a new mechanism to visualize biomolecules.…

Three-dimensional visualization of molecular simulations in virtual reality (VR) is an emerging teaching tool in chemical education. This work describes a VR application which can generate a 3D molecular dynamics (MD) simulation from arbitrary molecular structures and renders that MD simulation trajectory on a VR headset in real-time. This system…

Using tangible models to help students visualize chemical structures in three dimensions has been a mainstay of chemistry education for many years. Conventional chemistry modeling kits are, however, limited in the types and accuracy of the molecules, bonds and structures they can be used to build. The recent development of 3D printing technology…