Both, virtual and printed 3D crystal models can help students and teachers deal with chemical education topics such as symmetry and point groups. In the present paper, two freely downloadable tools (interactive PDF files and a mobile app) are presented as examples of the application of 3D design to study point-symmetry. The use of 3D printing to…

Ronald J. Gillespie, the inventor of the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) model, relates how his career as researcher in Christopher Ingold's laboratories started. Gillespie developed a passion for chemistry and chemical education, searching for more appropriate and interesting ways to transmit the essential knowledge and enthusiasm…

A computational experiment aimed to create and systematically analyze models of simple cation hydrates is presented. The changes in the structure (bond distances and angles) and the electronic density distribution of the solvent and the thermodynamic parameters of the hydration process are calculated and compared with the experimental data. The…