Frequently asked questions

Yes. No hidden fees, subscriptions, or paywalled features. MolDraw is a free alternative to ChemDraw, from Scidart Academy.

No. MolDraw runs in your browser — no download, account, or payment.

Yes. Use the search bar with names like aspirin, caffeine, or benzene; structures load from PubChem.

Including:

• PNG — images (transparent background supported)
• SDF — structure data for chemistry tools
• XYZ — coordinates for computational chemistry
• X3D / OBJ — 3D meshes for viewers and DCC tools

Structures are processed in your browser; MolDraw does not upload your drawings to a server for storage.

Current Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. JavaScript must be enabled.

Initial load needs the network (CDN assets). After that, many features work with spotty connectivity; full offline use requires self-hosting.

Built with 3Dmol.js. Styles include ball & stick, stick, space-fill, and line — suitable for teaching and routine visualization; validate structures for publication workflows.

1. Select the atom.
2. Right-click to open the context menu.
3. Choose Edit.
4. Open Radicals and pick the lone pair or radical style you need.

You can also add decorative lone-pair markers on exports. More detail: lone pairs course chapter.

1. In the Ketcher toolbar (left), open the tools that include reaction arrows and drawing objects.
2. Choose the curved arrow tool (curved / electron‑flow arrow — not the straight reaction arrow).
3. On the canvas, click and drag from the tail (electron source) toward the head (destination bond or atom).

Exact icons vary slightly by Ketcher version; look for the curved arrow next to other arrow and shape tools. For reaction schemes, see Drawing reactions in the course.

Scidart Academy — Rafeeque Mavoor. Editor: Ketcher. Contact: rafeequemavoor@gmail.com.

Yes for typical use. If you redistribute or embed MolDraw in a product, check licenses for Ketcher, 3Dmol.js, and other bundled libraries.