A Virtual Reality Platform for Molecular Visualization in Undergraduate Chemistry

Many chemistry concepts require students to interpret three-dimensional structures from their two-dimensional representations. To support molecular visualization, a modular, gallery-style virtual reality (VR) platform was developed for undergraduate organic and inorganic chemistry courses. Built-in Unity and deployed on standalone headsets, the application allows students to interact with 3D molecular models through grabbing, rotation, and scaling. The platform is adaptable to multiple chemical topics and scalable for single- or multiple-headset classroom implementation. An exploratory mixed-methods approach was used to understand student perceptions via pre/post surveys, content-specific surveys, and semistructured interviews. The initial use suggests its potential utility as an engaging supplement to traditional visualization tools.