Research Guide: Organic Chemistry

Standard Texts

March's advanced organic chemistry : reactions, mechanisms, and structure / Michael B. Smith, Jerry March. 6th ed. 2007.
Chemistry Library Reserve: QD251.2 M37 2007

Organic chemistry / Solomons & Fryhle. 8th ed. 2006.
Chemistry Library Reserve: QD253.2 S65 2006

Organic chemistry / Maitland Jones, Jr. 3rd ed. 2005.
Chemistry Library Reserve: QD253.2 J66 2005

Name Reactions

Name reactions : a collection of detailed reaction mechanisms / Jie Jack Li. 2006.
Chemistry Library Reference Collection: QD291 L55 2006

Name reactions : a collection of detailed reaction mechanisms / Jie Jack Li. 2002.
Chemistry Library: QD291 L55 2002

Name reactions in heterocyclic chemistry / edited by Jie-Jack Li. 2005.
Chemistry Library: QD400 N34 2005

Organic syntheses based on name reactions / A. Hassner and C. Stumer. 2nd ed.
Chemistry Library Reference: QD262 H324 2002

Organic syntheses based on name reactions and unnamed reactions / A. Hassner and C. Stumer.
Chemistry Library: QD262 H324 1994

See also Merck Index: Organic Name Reactions. [Online]
also Chemistry Library: Ready Reference Shelf
Merck name reaction sample entry

Classic Organic Reactions. ChemPen Software.

Named Reactions. Organic Chemistry Information. Hans J.Reich.

Reaction Conditions

Beilstein and SciFinder Scholar include reaction search capabilities. However, If the procedure was considered "common knowledge" by the original author, it may not appear in Beilstein or SciFinder Scholar. For this information the best sources are:

Organic Syntheses (Chem Lib Ref. QD 262 O721) - a collection of detailed preparations of widely used compounds. This content is searchable on the Internet at the Organic Syntheses Website (http://www.orgsyn.org/). This site requires a supported operating system, browser, and chemical drawing plugin, and is not searchable from library computers. Content is also included in MDL Reaction Browser (see below) which is searchable from library computers.

Organic Reactions (Chem Lib Ref QD 251 O7) - detailed review articles on major synthetic reactions with extensive tales of references.

Organic Reaction Mechanisms. (chem Lib Ref QD 258 O82) - annual review of organic reaction mechanisms literature.

Theilheimer's Synthetic Methods (Chem Lib Ref QD 262 T48) - abstracts arranged by reaction type and indexed by compound type of both starting material and product.

Feiser and Feiser's Reagents for Organic Synthesis (Chem Lib Ref QD 262 F5)

Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (Chem Lib Ref QD 77 E53 1995)

e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Dictionary of Organic Compounds. 5th edition, 5 volumes, supplements 1982.
Chemistry Library Ref: QD 251 H45

Elsevier's Encyclopedia of organic chemistry
Chemistry Library Ref: QD251 E49 v.14

Handbooks and Manuals

These resources provide physical constants for particular organic compounds and, in some cases, reference to the original literature.

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. CRC Press. new editions annually
Chemistry Library Ref QD 65 H32, copies on shelves in reference area

The Merck Index [Online]
Chemistry Library Ready Reference Shelf: RS 356 M52

Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds, CRC Press, 2nd edition, 1990
Chemistry Library Ref QD 257.7 H36

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, (Online) Internet access licensed for UW-Madison students, faculty, staff.

Knovel Scientific and Engineering Online References(Internet access licensed for UW-Madison students, faculty, staff)
The Knovel database contains of some of the leading chemistry and engineering reference handbooks, databases, and conference proceedings. Some of the standard reference texts included are Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook and Lange's Handbook of Chemistry. The content of more than 200 books is interactive and cross-searchable. Users can manipulate and extract information (for example, text, live tables, graphs, images, databases) to suit their needs. Data searching retrieves tables, graphs, and equations that can be further manipulated in spreadsheets and with java applets.

Journal Databases

Beilstein CrossFire

To launch Beilstein/Gmelin from a campus library workstation, click HERE. The client may be installed on local workstations for access outside campus libraries. See Remote Access and Client Distribution for more information about local installation.
For search help, see Beilstein and Gmelin Help

Beilstein CrossFire covers organic compounds and is based upon the venerable German work, Beilstein's Handbuch der Organischen Chemie which has been an indispensable reference in chemistry libraries since the mid 19th century. The CrossFire database replaced the handbook in 1994. The database contains all information in the handbook plus continued coverage of about 150 journals. CrossFire is the only index that covers the very old literature (earliest record is 1771). CrossFire may be searched in a number of ways: molecular formula, chemical name, chemical structure/substructure, reaction, etc.

SciFinder Scholar

SciFinder Scholar is a client-server program used to access information in selected Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) databases: CAPlus, CARegistry, CAREACTS, CHEMCATS, and CHEMLISTS. It permits searching in a variety of ways: author name, research topic, substance identifier (CAS Registry Number, chemical name), chemical structure/substructure, or chemical reaction. is fully accessible in all UW-Madison Libraries. Click HERE to launch SciFinder Scholar on a campus library computer (not on a DoIT Info Lab computer located inside a campus library).The client may be installed on local workstations for access outside campus libraries. See Remote Access and Client Distribution for more information about local installation. For search help, see SciFinder Scholar Help

Web of Knowledge

Combines three databases: Science Citation Index Expanded (1965-), Social Sciences Citation Index (1982-), and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1982-). These databases are searchable independently or in any combination. It indexes more than 8,000 peer-reviewed journals, including articles, reviews, letters, notes, corrections, and editorials. Cited author searching is available.

Web of Knowledge 's most powerful search feature is the cited reference search. This feature permits you to find new information on a topic by using citation connections between articles, rather than the subject terms of a traditional index. Organic chemists use cited reference searching because it is frequently a very effective way to find information about specific reactions. For example, if you need to find current uses of the Wittig reaction, begin with the paper in which the reaction was first described. A citation search of that paper in WOK leads you to newer uses of the reaction.
Web of Knowledge Cited Reference search for Birch Reduction name reaction

Locating Journals

Use Find It to locate an electronic journal (includes journals cataloged in MadCat, plus many more) and/or an article if you have the citation. Use the Find It link to MadCat to locate a print copy.

Use the Electronic Journal List to locate electronic-only journals.

  • Use the SUBJECT BROWSE tab to generate a list of chemistry electronic journals by sub-category.
  • Use the MORE OPTIONS tab to generate a list of chemistry electronic journals by Publisher/Provider such as ACS.

See Chemistry Journals for more information.

Locating Books

Use MadCat, the online catalog, to find books, titles of journals (not the articles within journals), audio visual materials, and government documents in UW-Madison campus libraries.

Chemistry Library Call Numbers

  • QD 241 - QD 441 (organic chemistry)

Subject Headings

Use MadCat's BASIC Subject Heading Browse search for these Library of congress subject headings..

  • Chemistry, Organic - used for general works on organic chemistry. Works on special groups of carbon compounds and their reactions are entered under Carbon compounds.
  • Organic Compounds - see also groups and classes of organic compounds and individual organic substances
  • Alkanes - see also narrower terms such as Butane, Cycloalkanes, Diazoalkanes, Ethanes, Hexane, Methane, Nitroalkanes
  • Alkenes - see also narrower terms such as Cumulenes, Diolefins, Ethylene, Polyolefins, Propene, etc.
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Chemical reactions - see also numerous narrower terms such as Acylation, Alkylation, Reactivity (Chemistry), Rearrangements (Chemistry) Reduction (Chemistry), Substitution reactions, etc.

Web Sites