For teachers

For teachers

Chemistry they can hold.

Free 3D-printable molecules for your classroom. In the engraved version every atom carries its symbol. Print them at school, or ask us for the molecule your syllabus needs.

Get the 12 free models → Order a molecule →

  • ~1,000molecules in the catalogue
  • 1 fileone solid body, no assembly
  • C, H, O, Nengraved on every atom (engraved version)
  • CC BY-SAfree to print, share and adapt

Built for a lesson, not a shelf.

Symbols on every atom

C, H, O, N, Cl: engraved into each sphere. Students read the structure straight off the model. No colour code to memorise.

True to scale

Atom positions come from computed 3D conformers (PubChem). Printed at a known scale, a ruler becomes a measuring instrument for bond lengths.

One page per molecule

Each model has its page on MolGod.org: name, CAS number, SMILES, InChIKey, PubChem CID, properties and hazard information, ready for homework.

New: ready to print

The engraved molecule on a 100 mm display base: name and CAS on the front, identifiers, a 1 Å scale bar and hazard pictograms on top, a QR code underneath. One STL, already in millimetres.

Five lesson ideas. Ten minutes each.

  1. Measure a bond. On a ready-to-print model, the 1 Å scale bar on the base turns a ruler reading into ångströms. Compare a single C–C bond with a C=C bond in the same model.
  2. Write the formula. Count the engraved atoms, write the molecular formula, check it on the molecule's page.
  3. Find the double bonds. In the engraved version they are printed as double bonds. Students mark them, then discuss the aromatic ring.
  4. Read the hazard. Find the hazard pictograms on the molecule's page. What does each one mean? Where would you find the full safety information?
  5. Shape matters. Put dopamine next to adrenaline. Two small changes alter what the molecule does in the body.

12 free models. Print them tonight.

Free under CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence and attribution are on each model's licence page.

Ready to print: one file, base included

Engraved molecule on a 100 mm display base, already in millimetres. Digital prototype: geometry checked, not yet test-printed.

Benzyl chloride · Benzene · Caffeine · Dopamine · Serotonin · Adrenaline · Ethanol · Aspirin · Paracetamol · Capsaicin

Scale: the NORMAL and ENGRAVED files are in ångströms, so a slicer reads them as millimetres and the model comes out tiny. Scale them up before printing; the recommended scale is on each licence page. Ready-to-print files are already in millimetres.

Browse the full catalogue →

Print in resin. Every letter stays sharp.

General printing advice, not yet confirmed on our own test prints. The engraving on the atoms is fine detail. A resin (MSLA) printer reproduces it cleanly. A filament printer works too, but simplifies the smallest text.

Resin, step by step

  1. Choose the resin. Grey or a light tinted colour shows engraving best; clear and pure white hide it. Use a tough or ABS-like resin: the supports under the molecule are slim, and standard resin is brittle.
  2. Calibrate exposure first. Print an exposure test for your resin before the model. Too much light fills the engraved letters; too little loses thin details.
  3. Use fine layers. 0.03–0.05 mm layer height, anti-aliasing on.
  4. Tilt the model 20–30°. Do not print the model flat on the build plate. Tilting keeps the engraved faces away from supports and lets resin drain.
  5. Support the back, never the letters. Place light supports on the underside rim and on the back of the spheres. Keep them off the engraved faces.
  6. Wash the grooves. Two baths of isopropyl alcohol, a soft brush into every letter, then blow the grooves dry with air. Resin left in a groove cures as a film and blurs the letter.
  7. Remove supports, then cure. Cut supports with flush cutters while the print is still slightly soft. Let it dry fully, then cure. Do not over-cure: it makes the print brittle and yellow.
  8. Make the letters pop. Brush a dark panel-line wash or thinned acrylic paint into the engraving, then wipe the surface with a damp cloth. Paint stays in the letters, the surface comes clean.

Filament (FDM)

  • Settings: PLA or PETG, 0.12 mm layers, tree supports under the atoms. A 0.2 mm nozzle gives much sharper text than 0.4 mm.
  • Seam: slow outer walls, and place the seam at the back.

The molecule your syllabus needs.

Any molecule

Send a name, CAS number or SMILES. We generate, check and send the files.

Order →

Class packs

Amino acids, neurotransmitters, vitamins, drugs: one theme, one set, ready for a whole unit.

Ask for a pack →

No printer at school?

Printed models are coming. Tell us which molecules you would need and we will contact you when we can ship.

Tell us what you need →

What you send. What we build. What you get.

  1. You send the molecule: name, CAS, PubChem CID or SMILES. When custom orders open: two short lines for the base, such as your school, your class or the year.
  2. We build the model from the structure and run our checks: watertight mesh, one solid body, every atom connected, geometry compared with the source.
  3. You get a reply with what is possible and when. Custom models are in preparation.

Questions teachers ask.

Do I need my own 3D printer?

No. Many schools have one in the technology department. Printed models are coming; tell us what you would need.

Is a model of a hazardous substance suitable for class?

Yes. It is a plastic object; the substance is not there. The hazard pictograms on its page are a starting point for talking about hazards. The model is not safety documentation: for handling a real chemical, use its Safety Data Sheet.

Can you make a very large molecule?

Small molecules print well. Proteins and polymers do not; ask us and we will tell you what is possible.

What can we engrave on the base?

When custom orders open: two lines of up to 20 characters: letters A–Z without diacritics, digits and basic punctuation, in capitals.

Can students take the files home?

Yes. The models are released under CC BY-SA 4.0: use, share and adapt them, including commercially, under the same licence and with this credit: “[Name] (CAS [number]) — 3D model” by MolGod Scientific, CC BY-SA 4.0, with a link to the model’s licence page.

Used a model in class? Tell us.

What worked, what did not, which molecule your students asked for next. We read every message.

Write to us → Order a molecule →