Finding chemical or physical information
If you are looking for physical or chemical property data about a substance or material, here are some good starting points:
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics This link opens in a new windowAnnually published reference source for chemical & physical property data, nomenclature, structure, & composition of substances. Includes physical constants of organic & inorganic compounds, conversion factors, & much more.
- Knovel This link opens in a new windowOnline access to books, databases, and conference proceedings from a number of publishers that cover all areas of engineering and includes content relevant to related sciences (e.g., chemistry and earth sciences). It includes interactive graphs and tables.
See also:
Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals
Print book available in Chemistry Library (RS51 .M4 2013)
A comprehensive reference work on organic chemistry that provides information on thousands of substances and structural formulas.
Looking for an article or trying to verify a citation?
- SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
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SciFinder-n is the updated version of SciFinder and is the best database for topics related to chemistry and adjacent fields. It includes journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, and patents. Find substance and reaction information as well as suppliers and chemical regulatory data. - Web of Science (WoS) This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences.
Looking for syntheses of or information about organic or inorganic chemical substances?
- Reaxys This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to chemical structure, reaction, and property information on organic, inorganic, and organometallic compounds; its contents are derived from Beilstein (organic compounds) and Gmelin (inorganic and organometallic compounds), which date to the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as selected English-language chemical patents.
Note: SciFinder and Reaxys are complementary resources, and although there is some overlap the two are quite different in their respective literature coverage, and the ways they register compounds and index reactions. It's advisable to consult both databases for the most complete coverage of compounds, reactions, and properties.