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DE GRUYTER Chemistry Teacher International. 2020; 20190006 Felix Lederle1,2 / Eike G. Hübner1,3 Organic chemistry lecture course and exercises based on true scale models 1 Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Leibnizstr. 6, DE-38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany, E- mail: [email protected]. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7369-7449, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2104-9615. 2 Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Technical Chemistry, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Str. 4, DE-38678 Clausthal- Zellerfeld, Germany. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7369-7449. 3 Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute, Department Fiber Optical Sensor Systems, Am Stollen 19 H, DE-38640 Goslar, Germany, E-mail: [email protected]. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2104-9615. Abstract: 3D models of chemical structures are an important tool for chemistry lectures and exercises. Usually, simplified models based on standard bond length and angles are used. These models allow for a visualized discussion of (stereo)chemical aspects, but they do not represent the true spatial conditions. 3D-printing technologies facilitate the production of scale models. Several protocols describe the process from X-ray structures, calculated geometries or virtual molecules to printable files. In contrast, only a few examples describe the integration of scaled models in lecture courses. True bond angles and scaled bond lengths allow for a detailed discussion of the geometry and parameters derived therefrom, for example double bond character, aromaticity and many more. Here, we report a complete organic chemistry/stereochemistry lecture course and exercise based on a set of 37 scale models made from poly(lactic acid) as sustainable material. All models have been derived from X-ray structures and quantum chemical calculations. Consequently, the models reflect the true structure as close as possible. A fixed scaling factor of 1 : 1.8·108 has been applied to all models. Hands-on measuring of bond angles and bond length leads to an interactive course. The course has been evaluated with a very positive feedback. Keywords: 3D-printing, hands-on learning, organic chemistry, scale models, stereochemistry DOI: 10.1515/cti-2019-0006 Introduction Visualization of 3D structures and spatial orientation has always been a major aspect of chemistry lectures (Oliver-Hoyo & Babilonia-Rosa, 2017). The typical representation in textbooks and on panels is a 2D projection of the 3D structure. For the understanding of complex geometries in the 3D space, molecular modelling kits with standardized sets of atoms and bonds are indispensable. Modern technologies allow for significantly im- proved representations of complex molecular structures. Recent examples are freely scalable and rotatable 3D models in software programs on tablets and smartphones (Chiu et al., 2018; Ping, Lok, Yeat, Cherynn, & Tan, 2018). Nevertheless, the combined haptic and visual feedback of a real 3D model is extremely helpful to discuss phenomena in the 3D world. Consequently, the technology of 3D-printing has been applied to generate true 3D models as scaled counterparts to the original molecular structure. These models can be handled as objects from molecular modelling kits, but have one significant advantage: They represent exactly scaled bond lengths from River Valley Technologies Ltd and bond angles instead of standardized atom distances. Furthermore, unlimited amounts of 3D-models can be reproduced from the template file. First protocols for the printing of crystal structures have been published in 2013 (Scalfani, 2013), rapidly followed by various publications explaining the concept from molecular co- ProofCheck ordinates to 3D-printed structures in detail (Chen, Lee, Flood, & Miljanić, 2014; Kitson et al., 2014; Scalfani & Vaid, 2014). Subsequent publications concentrate on optimization and simplification of the process (Jones & Spencer, 2018; Rossi, Benaglia, Brenna, Porta, & Orlandi, 2015; van Wieren, Tailor, Scalfani, & Merbouh, 2017), optimization of the 3D-print for unit cells (Rodenbough, Vanti, & Chan, 2015), biomolecules (Jones & Spencer, 2018; Meyer, 2015; Rossi et al., 2015; van Wieren et al., 2017), larger structures by connection of independently printed fragments (Paukstelis, 2018), reversibly interacting structures based on 3D-printed parts and velcro (Babilonia-Rosa, Kuo, & Oliver-Hoyo, 2018; Cooper & Oliver-Hoyo, 2016), and the 3D-print of components for a large structure modelling kit (Penny et al., 2017). Further work presents the application of 3D-printed ob- jects for the visualization of the structure of block-copolymers (Scalfani, Turner, Rupar, Jenkins, and Bara 2015), Eike G. Hübner is the corresponding author. © 2020 IUPAC & De Gruyter. Automatically generated rough PDF by This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. 1 Lederle and Hübner DE GRUYTER polyhedra for teaching of point groups (Casas & Estop, 2015), the Bohr atom model (Smiar & Mendez, 2016), VSEPR models generated with a 3D-printing pen (Dean, Ewan, & McIndoe, 2016), molecular orbitals (Carroll & Blauch, 2017; de Cataldo, Griffith, & Fogarty, 2018; Griffith, de Cataldo, & Fogarty, 2016; Robertson &Jor- gensen, 2015) (with inserted magnets to realize reversible interactions (Carroll & Blauch, 2018)), and potential energy surfaces (Blauch & Carroll, 2014; Kaliakin, Zaari, & Varganov, 2015; Lolur & Dawes, 2014; Teplukhin & Babikov, 2015) as well as reaction progress data (Higman, Situ, Blacklin, & Hein, 2017) based on spectroscopic results and periodic tables which represent periodic trends by tactile information (LeSuer, 2019). 3D-printed structures have been established in larger courses with a focus on the transfer of 2D to 3D structures allowing each student to print one unique model (Fourches & Feducia, 2019). In general, the feedback of students on 3D-printed structures is very positive (Fourches & Feducia, 2019; Frohock, Winterrowd, & Gallardo-Williams, 2018). As part of our work on 3D-printing in chemical laboratories (Lederle, Kaldun, Namyslo, & Hübner, 2016a; Lederle, Meyer, Brunotte, Kaldun, & Hübner, 2016b; Lederle, Meyer, Kaldun, Namyslo, & Hübner, 2017), we designed a set of 37 scaled structures for a lecture course and exercise (1 unit) in organic chemistry/stereo- chemistry for second/third year undergraduates. The course is intended for small groups of roughly to 20–30 students. The procedure for the generation of the scale models is based on the basic protocols given in literature (see Figure 1). In contrast to the protocols for the production of 3D models, which have been well established, the focus of our work was to fully integrate true scale models into the teaching concept. All structures discussed here have been 3D-printed on an affordable (€1000) fused deposition modeling printer and are attached asSTL files ready for reproduction. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has been chosen as sustainable printing material. Figure 1: General procedure for the 3D-printing process of all scaled molecular models discussed here. Experimental section Note: Various protocols are given in literature for the 3D-printing process of molecular models (Chen et al., 2014; Kitson et al., 2014; Scalfani, 2013; Scalfani & Vaid, 2014). The information given below is not a detailed description, but a summary of settings to allow for reproduction and extension towards further structures with the same appearance. All model numbers refer to the corresponding structure/STL file listed in the Supple- mentary material. PDB files containing the atom coordinates have been taken from the Cambridge Structural Database (Groom, Bruno, Lightfoot, & Ward, 2016) (CSD) or from quantum chemical calculations (see below). File format incon- sistencies have been corrected with Chem3D 14.0.0.17 (PerkinElmer Informatics). Ball and Stick models have been converted from the PDB files to 3D-printable STL files with Python Molecule Viewer (PMV) (Sanner, 1999) 1.5.6 with a stick radius of 0.12, a ball radius of 0 and a ball scale factor of 0.18. STL files have been scaled with a 8 from River Valley Technologies Ltd final factor of 1 : 1.8·10 with netfabb 5.2.1 (netfabb GmbH). Self-intersections have been removed with netfabb 5.2.1. 3D-Printing has been performed with BEEsoft 3.9.0 on a BEEthefirst 3D printer with black PLA from BeeVeryCreative, BEEVC – Electronic Systems Lda. All prints have been processed with a layer height of 50 μm and 40 % infill. In deviation from standard settings, a supportlinedistance of 1500 and supportXYdistance of 500 ProofCheck has been used for the implemented CURA slicer engine to realize prints of small spheres (hydrogen atoms). Supporting material has been removed by hand with knife and cutter. Atom coloring has been achieved with Revell email color (Revell GmbH). All density-functional theory (DFT)-calculations to obtain geometry optimized structures were carried out by using the Jaguar 9.1.013 software (Schrodinger, Inc) (Bochevarov et al., 2013) running on Linux 2.6.18–238.el5 SMP (x86_64) on five AMD Phenom II X6 1090T processor workstations (Beowulf-cluster) parallelized with OpenMPI. MM2 optimized structures were used as starting geometries. Complete geometry optimizations were carried out on the implemented LACVP* (Hay-Wadt effective core potential (ECP) basis on heavy atoms, N31G6* for all other atoms) basis set and with the PBE0 density functional. PDB files have been exported with Maestro 10.5.013, the graphical interface of Jaguar. Automatically