Studying the nomenclature of dioxins using a structure model kit based on electronic components linked with plastic tubes

Abstract

Commercially available molecular models are elaborately made but generally expensive, which hinders their distribution to all classroom students. Aiming at developing an affordable molecular model, we developed a structure model kit consisting of inexpensive electronic components including transistors and colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a total cost of ca. 2 USD. The structure model kit was designed for building a family of environmental pollutant molecules known as dioxins, in which transistor, white LED, red LED, and yellow LED components are used to represent sp2 carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine atoms, respectively. Herein, we report an activity directed to nonchemistry majors studying environmental science and electronic engineering to help them gain insight into the molecular structure of dioxins using the newly developed structure model kit. The activity was well received by many students, some of whom came to understand the relationship between the structure and nomenclature of dioxins, mainly 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and its isomers.

Structural Models of TTF and TCNQ Based on Electronic Components Linked by Plastic Tubes

“…However, these models were not good at representing molecules with many constituent atoms because different atoms were difficult to distinguish according to their size and were difficult to color. Therefore, instead of the clay and toothpick model, the idea was to use electronic components to construct structural models. , Electronic components are produced in several different colors, which means that they are very suitable for building structures with many constituent atoms. In addition, by short-circuiting the three electrodes of the transistors, the yellow LEDs in the TTF model could be made to light up (Figure S2).…”

“…However, the transistors used to represent carbon atoms in the electronic component models have only three electrodes, which means that they cannot be used to represent sp 3 carbon atoms. Therefore, structural models based on transistors can only represent molecules containing sp 2 or sp carbon atoms; this includes TTF and TCNQ as well as fullerene and dioxins . Photographs of several molecular models based on electronic components are available in the Supporting Information.…”