Abstract
Wade’s rule is a fundamental concept in undergraduate inorganic chemistry, enabling students to predict the structures of borane clusters—such as closo, nido, or arachno—based on electron counts. Traditional instruction often relies on 2D and static diagrams, which many students find difficult to interpret, particularly when grappling with borane bonding and geometry. Interactive models offer a dynamic alternative, allowing students to visualize and manipulate structures, potentially enhancing engagement. However, unlike widely available organic chemistry models, effective tools for inorganic compounds like boranes are limited, the need for specialized resources are of great demand in the inorganic chemistry teaching and learning.
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence, AI-supported programming and generative AI have streamlined this process. In this project, students utilize an AI-powered chatbot (Deepseek or Grok) to develop interactive borane models using html. Through this initiative, students acquire skills in AI interaction, foundational programming experiences, and collaborative model-sharing with peers. Furthermore, by creating their own models and comparing the results predicted by Wades rule which is learnt from lecture, students deepen their understanding about Wades rule and identify common conceptual mistake in bondings and borane structures.
Presenter(s) / Author(s)
