Some of these pages use JMol which allows me to display molecules in a way that permits users to interact with them. Using JMol one can rotate, spin, and do other manipulations. JMol was originally a Java app and when I wanted to add molecule visualization back into the site, I wanted to use something that was not dependent upon a browser plugin like MDLChime. I discovered JMol and had added it into a previous version of this site years ago, but it was Java-only and I had decided to not use Flash and Java since Apple's mobile devices and tablets didn't support them.

JSmol is a JavaScript conversion of JMol that supports HTML5 and is not dependent upon Java (yea!). Unfortunately, there is a significant JavaScript overhead with it and one needs to be patient the first time you load a page that uses it. Windows versions of Safari and Internet Explorer currently do not perform well and I suggest you use either Firefox or Chrome. An iPad/Mini running the latest iOS should perform reasonably well for you.

As of 6/30/2014:

  • Mac Safari v7.0.4 (performs well)
  • Mac Firefox v30 (performs well)
  • Mac Chrome v35 (performs well)
  • Windows IE v11.0.9 (performance is poor)
  • Windows Firefox v30 (performs well)
  • Windows Chrome v35 (performs well)
  • Windows Safari v5.1.7 (performance is poor)
  • iPad Mini with iOS v7.1.1 (performance is reasonable)
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