Benzoic Acid

Benzoic acid is a white, crystalline organic compound and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid, with the formula C₆H₅COOH. Its name comes from gum benzoin, a resin from which it was first isolated. It occurs naturally in many plants, including cranberries, prunes, and apples. Benzoic acid and its salts, like sodium benzoate, are widely used as food preservatives, particularly in acidic foods such as fruit juices, soft drinks, and pickles, to inhibit the growth of mold and yeast. It is also a precursor for synthesizing other chemicals and is used in ointments for its antifungal properties.

Explore searchable catalogue of hundreds of molecules, including details on how models were generated.

Notes

• If you happen to break something, use superglue to fix it. It will make the broken part even stronger.
• I decided to go with the ball-and-stick type, as it is easiest to color, is rigid, and looks awesome.
• The model represents the major resonance contributor.
• I oriented the model for optimal strength/waste/time compromise, but if you decide to reorient it, try to avoid placing bonds along the Z-axis, as they will be very easy to break.
• Supports removable without too much worry of damaging model if you are careful with scalpel and do of paper-sanding afterwards.
• You can use PETG as support material (don't forget to set the heatbed to 70 °C!) and PLA for the model itself (the support then come off much easier). For extra swag, use PLA support filament or PVA as supports.
• Recommended colorization is based on the Corey–Pauling–Koltun (CPK) palette (Figure 1). To quickly change colors, use the settings depicted in Figure 2.
  Alternatively, if you want to save filament and time, print the model in full-white and paint it with a permanent marker.

Figure 1. Recommended palette based on CPK coloring.

Figure 2. Setting to quickly color atoms with one click.

Figure 3. Filament flushing page.

Happy printing!