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Molecular Models

Molecular Models

Physical models representing molecular architectures of chemical compounds play essential roles in understanding chemistry. The use of molecular models makes it easier to visualize the structures and shapes of atoms and molecules.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Interactive Molecular Model Assembly with 3D Printing

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Published on: August 13, 2020

Building Nanoplastic Models for Molecular Calculations.

Boglárka Szabó¹, Paul Zaby², Leonard Dick²

¹Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B

|January 5, 2026

Summary

Researchers developed a new workflow using simulated annealing and quantum chemistry to create stable nanoplastic structures. This method models polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and nylon-66, providing valuable data for toxicity and simulation studies.

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Last Updated: Jan 7, 2026

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Scalable Nanohelices for Predictive Studies and Enhanced 3D Visualization

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Published on: November 12, 2014

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Materials Science
Computational Chemistry

Background:

Molecular simulations are crucial for understanding micro- and nanoplastic toxicity.
Modeling nanoplastics requires complex folding of polymer chains, demanding optimized procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

To establish a systematic workflow for preparing stable nanoplastic structures using molecular simulations.
To provide a reliable method for modeling various plastic types for toxicity assessments.

Main Methods:

Utilized simulated annealing with the CHARMM36 force field for initial nanoplastic structure preparation.
Performed quantum chemical geometry optimizations using GFN2-xTB, followed by DFT benchmarking.
Applied the protocol to polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and nylon-66.

Main Results:

Achieved stable nanoplastic structures with geometries consistent with theoretical and experimental findings.
Observed distinct structures for different polymers: crystalline for polyethylene, helical for polypropylene and polystyrene, and hydrogen-bonded for nylon-66.
Made optimized nanoplastic structures publicly available in an online repository.

Conclusions:

The developed workflow provides a robust method for simulating nanoplastic particles.
The generated structures and data will advance research in nanoplastic toxicity and simulation studies.
The open-access data repository facilitates further ensemble simulations and community research.