Beyond dematerialization and inscription: Does the materiality of molecular models really matter?

Abstract

Taking a critical stance towards the notions of dematerialization and inscription, this paper considers the role of physical molecular models in chemical research, specifically in the development of structural concepts and in the articulation of chemists’ knowledge of molecular structures. The main argument, illustrated through specific historical case studies, is that the materiality of these models, their specific properties as material objects, is not simply incidental to the role they have played in the development of chemistry.