Interactive Molecular Model Assembly with 3D Printing

With the growth in accessibility of 3D printing, there has been a growing application of and interest in additive manufacturing processes in chemical laboratories and chemical education. Building on the long and successful history of physical modeling of molecular systems, we present select models along with a protocol to facilitate 3D printing of molecular structures that are able to do more than represent shape and connectivity. Models assembled as described incorporate dynamic aspects and degrees of freedom into saturated hydrocarbon structures. As a representative example, cyclohexane was assembled from parts printed and finished using different thermoplastics, and the resulting models retain their functionality at a variety of scales. The resulting structures show configurational space accessibility consistent with calculations and literature, and versions of these structures can be used as aids to illustrate concepts that are difficult to convey in other ways. This exercise enables us to evaluate successful printing protocols, make practical recommendations for assembly, and outline design principles for physical modeling of molecular systems. The provided structures, procedures, and results provide a foundation for individual manufacture and exploration of molecular structure and dynamics with 3D printing.