Chemistry is the study of molecules, and hence, by definition, it is the molecular science. The beauty of the science lies in the beauty of the molecules with a myriad of structural varieties. Molecular structures relate to molecular activities which in turn govern chemical functions and applications. The influence of chemistry on the development of other sciences, technology and medicine has never been more evident. In this molecular age when many subjects become molecular (e.g. ‘molecular biology’, ‘molecular electronics’, ‘molecular engineering’ and so on), the introduction of the new GEK2504 “The Four S’s in the Molecular World” in AY 2004/2005 was therefore timely. The four S’s refer to Structure, Symmetry, Space and Stability. They are connected to the fifth all-encompassing S, namely, Science.

GEK2504 is a new experiment with five ambitious goals:

• to break the preconceived barrier between science and other disciplines
  
  
• to make chemical concepts come alive
  
  
• to examine the interconnecting principles of the [4+1] S’s
  
  
• to create new knowledge in a professional field based on the appreciation of fundamental scientific principles
  
  
• to provoke out-of-the-box ideas to analyse geometrical forms in life. Collectively, these goals define the intellectual challenge and help to formulate the scope and method of our teaching and learning.

The interconnectivity of the four S’s and their roots in Science provides a focal point for discussion. The module uses scientific concepts of the four S’s to explain various life forms, phenomena and processes. For example, the architect’s primary concerns of the design of a living or working environment are the structural design, symmetry features, space utilisation and stability considerations. A practical architectural design therefore demands a good understanding and application of the four S’s in science. Although an architect is not a science practitioner, he/she would have grasped some basic ideas in science in the course of his/her professional upbringing.

Barriers among different disciplines, even within science, may be common but many of them are artificial, or even imaginary. For example, stability to physicists is a thermodynamic issue, but to the chemists, it is more of a kinetic problem. When these structures are brought to the world of designers, artists, sculptors, architects or engineers, chances are that they will see the same structure in different lights. This speaks for the beauty of our human mind. It is shaped, or distorted, if you like, by our experiences in life. In GEK2504, we take students through different ‘minds’ and encourage them to venture out of their boxes to discover complex objects with simplicity and simple objects with complexity. Students also undertake a series of projects through which they relate the use of the four S’s to both molecular and material forms in their daily lives. In doing so, they also venture into the world of chemical principles.

Molecular chirality is an important concept that students have to grasp in GEK2504. Chirality is the property of non-identity of an object with its mirror image. It figures prominently in drug design. Students learn molecular chirality through various molecular models (which many have not experienced before) and cutting apples (a task that most students have done n times). Everyone can cut apples, but when they are asked to cut two apples, both of which into two ‘equal halves’, and try to create non-superimposable mirror images, it can be a frustrating exercise. But in the end, students learn about ‘homo-chirality’ and ‘hetero-chirality’, two of the classical concepts that provided the foundation for modern drugs.

We then brought students from a fruit market to a football field where the concept of buckminsterfullerene (i.e. where the C₆₀ sphere, also known as buckminsterfullerene, is visualised in a geodesic dome) comes alive. The intellectual trip shows students that the most beautiful molecular invention can also be the simplest. Isn’t this what life can be? Students could easily appreciate such beauty in the course of their constructions of molecular buckies from household materials. Some of their masterpieces are shown on the right and the following page:

Figure 1. A wooden buckminsterfullerene (Molecular Soccerball) and its Parent Icosahedron.	Figure 2. Buckminsterfullerene (Molecular Soccerball) and its Parent Icosahedron constructed with sticks.
Figure 3. A Perforated Buckminsterfullerene	Figure 4. A Perfect Icosahedron constructed from plastic.
Figure 5. A spiky Buckminsterfullerene	Figure 6. Molecular origami of Buckminsterfullerene and Tetrahedron constructed from paper.

Through this adventure, whether intentionally or not, we venture into the world of platonic solids (the five regular polyhedra—cube, tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron and dodecadehron), which provided as much inspiration for structural chemists as for architects, designers and soccer coaches. Buckminster Fuller, a famous architect, recognised this and used geodesic domes in his designs.

The molecular football is the tip of the iceberg in the 3-dimensional world. Our class went through a meandering journey in the platonic exploration. We ended up in the world of molecular origami, which is another new experience for most of us. Students combined their artistic skills with scientific know-how to craft many of the most beautiful structures and objects:

The relationship of stability with symmetry may not be immediately apparent to many. If you look at the Pentagon, which houses the Department of Defense in USA, in a slightly different light, you would see an almost perfect cyclopentadienyl anionic molecule with a perfect C₅ symmetry. This architectural design comprises five concentric rings housing different functional units with a good use of space. Most importantly, it rests on a flat base that maximises architectural stability, in both kinetic and thermodynamic sense!

These structures all have one thing in common—they are structurally beautiful and beautifully structured.

GEK2504 is an experiment of both pleasure and frustration that allows us to create knowledge through the interaction of science, art and architecture. We look for scientific inspirations from architectural masterpieces, as much as we seek architectural inspirations from molecular entities. At the end, we, by accident, discover a new domain called ‘molecular architecture’. Or, should we call that ‘architectural molecular science’?

Acknowledgement

The author gratefully acknowledged all contributions from the students in GEK2504 conducted in Semester 1 of AY 2004/2005. All the objects presented in this article were creations of the class. He has learnt probably more from the teaching than what he has taught the class.