MolDraw › Chemistry tools › 3D Molecular Model Viewer
3D Molecular Model Viewer
Look up any molecule by name, SMILES or PubChem CID and explore it as an interactive 3D model, like a virtual molecular model kit. You can switch between ball-and-stick, space-filling, stick and wireframe, turn labels and hydrogens on or off, and save a PNG.
Drag to rotate, pinch or scroll to zoom, two-finger drag to move.
SMILES:
Molecular model styles explained
| Model | What it shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ball-and-stick | Atoms as small spheres, bonds as sticks | Bond angles, geometry and connectivity (classroom molecular model kits) |
| Space-filling (CPK) | Atoms at their van der Waals radii | Real size and shape, steric bulk, how molecules pack |
| Stick | Bonds only, coloured by atom | Larger molecules, conformations |
| Wireframe | Thin lines for bonds | Big structures, fast rotation |
CPK colours
Atoms are coloured with the standard CPK (Jmol) scheme: carbon grey, hydrogen white, oxygen red, nitrogen blue, sulfur yellow, phosphorus orange, chlorine green, bromine dark red and iodine purple.
3D coordinates come from PubChem's computed conformers, rendered with 3Dmol.js. For your own SMILES with export to SDF, PDB or XYZ, use the SMILES to 3D structure converter. For proteins and PDB entries, use the protein viewer.
Drawing structures for your notes? MolDraw is a free online chemical structure editor for molecules, reactions and lab diagrams.
Open MolDraw editorFrequently asked questions
What is a ball-and-stick model?
A ball-and-stick model shows atoms as coloured spheres and bonds as sticks. It makes bond angles and molecular geometry easy to see, for example the 104.5° bend of water or the tetrahedral shape of methane.
What is the difference between ball-and-stick and space-filling models?
Ball-and-stick shrinks the atoms to show the bonds and angles. A space-filling (CPK) model draws each atom at its van der Waals radius, so it shows the real size and shape of the molecule but hides the bonds.
What do the colours in a molecular model mean?
Most models use CPK colours: carbon is grey or black, hydrogen white, oxygen red, nitrogen blue, sulfur yellow, chlorine green and phosphorus orange.
How do I view a molecule in 3D?
Type its name (e.g. caffeine), a SMILES string or a PubChem CID and press Show 3D model. Drag to rotate, pinch to zoom, and switch between ball-and-stick, space-filling, stick and wireframe.
Where do the 3D structures come from?
From PubChem's computed 3D conformers. Some salts, metal complexes and very large molecules have no 3D conformer, so a 2D layout is shown instead.
Can I build my own molecule?
Yes. Use the Build a Molecule tool to put atoms together kit-style, or draw any structure in the MolDraw editor and view it in 3D.