Subject Guide
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010
cfhuber@ucsb.edu
Locating Books
To locate books on your topic, use the UC Library Search. As a starting point, use a keyword search on the likely terms. You are unlikely to find references to a single compound, but may be able to find useful books on classes of compounds, such as esters, carboxylic acids, or polymers. For the most general case, use organic compounds. For synthesis information, combine the compound class term with synthesis. For properties, use the specific property name (e.g. solubility, spectra, toxicology.) For collections of data, use handbooks or tables. Examples: amines synthesis, organophosphorus toxicology, organic compounds handbooks
If nothing comes up, try a broader class term, or try your class term without a qualifier. When you find a relevant record, check its subject headings to see if there is alternative terminology you should try. Similarly, use keyword searches to find books on particular methods or reactions (e.g., addition reactions, ring formation). You may also want to browse in the book stacks.
- Organic analysis: QD 271-272
- Organic synthetic methods: QD 262 and QD 281.
- Specific classes of compounds:QD 300-406
- Organometallics: QD 410-412
- Physical organic chemistry: QD 476
General Reference Works
"Comprehensive Chemistry" series
These sets from Pergamon Press contain excellent review articles on various aspects of their respective subjects, and make good starting points for new research. The oldest of these, Comprehensive Organic Chemistry, is becoming somewhat dated, but is still useful. Each set is organized into volumes on broad subject areas; it's best to consult the subject indexes to locate your topic. Most of the sets also have an excellent molecular formula index.
Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry by Call Number: Reference ; QD400 .C65 1984ISBN: 9780080262000Publication Date: 1984-05-25
Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry II by Call Number: Reference ; QD400 .C65 1996ISBN: 9780080420721Publication Date: 1996-12-16
Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry by Call Number: Reference ; QD415 .C63 1999ISBN: 9780080427096Publication Date: 1999-02-18
Comprehensive Organic Chemistry by Call Number: Reference ; QD245 .C65ISBN: 9780080213194Publication Date: 1979-04-01
Comprehensive Organic Functional Group Transformations by Call Number: QD262 .C534 1995ISBN: 9780080447056Publication Date: 2005-08-19
Comprehensive Organic Functional Group Transformations II by Call Number: QD262 .C534 2005ISBN: 0080523471Publication Date: 2004-12-16
Comprehensive Organic Synthesis by Call Number: QD262 .C535 1991ISBN: 9780080359298Publication Date: 1991-12-05
Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry by Call Number: Reference ; QD411 .C65 1982ISBN: 9780080252698Publication Date: 1982-11-01
Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry II by Call Number: Reference ; QD411 .C652 1995ISBN: 0080406084Publication Date: 1995-09-29
Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry III by Call Number: QD411 .C653 2007ISBN: 9780080445908Publication Date: 2006-11-23
Comprehensive Polymer Science, Volume 7 by Call Number: Reference ; QD381 .C66 1989ISBN: 9780080362113Publication Date: 1990-04-30
Comprehensive Supramolecular Chemistry by Call Number: Reference ; QD411 .C66 1996ISBN: 0080406106Publication Date: 1996-07-16
- CHEMnetBASE This link opens in a new window
Electronic collection of several major reference works for chemistry and related sciences from Chapman and Hall/CRC Press. Fully sub-structure searchable. Note: Structure searching requires a free browser plug-in, which may not yet be installed on UCSB Library workstations. The Handbook of Chemistry & Physics and Polymers, A Property Database are fully searchable and offer the ability to produce tables customized to the user's preferences.
- Knovel.com This link opens in a new windowKnovel provides electronic versions of an extensive collection of reference works in chemistry, including several for organicl chemistry. Data tables are numerically searchable, and some titles provide interactive tables, graphs and equations.
Organic Chemists CompoundsCall Number: Reference ; QD246 .D5 1996 suppl.ISBN: 9780412644108Publication Date: 1991-12-31
- Reaxys This link opens in a new window
Indexes millions of chemical substances (organic, inorganic and organometallic) and chemical reactions, providing chemical and physical property information. Combines the Beilstein Handbook for Organic Chemistry, the Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, and the Elsevier Patent Chemistry Database. Searchable by text keywords, numerical physical and chemical properties, and by chemical structures and substructures.
The Synthetic Organic Chemist's Companion by Call Number: QD262 .P574 2007ISBN: 9780470107072Publication Date: 2007-07-10- Studies in Natural Products ChemistryCall Number: QD 415 .A2 S78Publication Date: VariesAn ongoing series of volumes of review articles, mainly dealing with synthesis, but also delving into the biological activity of a wide variety of natural products. UCSB currently owns volumes 1-18.
- Chemistry of Heterocyclic CompoudsCall Number: QD 400 .C5This ongoing multi-volume series (over 56 volumes, some in multiple parts) covers heterocyclic chemistry in depth. Each volume is devoted to a different class of compound (by size and number of rings and number and type of heteroatoms.)
Synthetic Methods
- Science of Synthesis This link opens in a new window
Compendium of synthetic methods for organic and organometallic chemistry. Browsable by table of contents, and searchable by keyword, by structure, or by substructure. Includes the electronic backfile (Houben-Weyl Archive) providing immediate access to hundreds of thousands of product specific experimental procedures, structures, and references in all fields of synthetic organic chemistry - dating back to the early 1800s.
- Organic Chemistry Portalhe Organic Chemistry Portal offers an overview of recent topics, interesting reactions, and information on important chemicals for organic chemists.
Comprehensive Organic Name Reactions and Reagents, 3 Volume Set by Call Number: Reference ; QD77 .W36 2009ISBN: 9780471704508Publication Date: 2009-06-29
Name Reactions and Reagents in Organic Synthesis by Call Number: QD291 .M86 2005ISBN: 9780471228547Publication Date: 2005-04-21
Name Reactions and Reagents in Organic Synthesis by Call Number: QD291 .M86 1988ISBN: 9780471836261Publication Date: 1988-08-10
Organic Syntheses Based on Name Reactions by Call Number: Reference ; QD262 .H324 2002ISBN: 9780080432595Publication Date: 2002-07-12
Fieser and Fieser's Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Volume 1 by Call Number: Reference QD 252 .F5ISBN: 9780471258759Publication Date: 1967-01-15
Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (EROS) by ISBN: 9780470842898Publication Date: 2001-04-30
Physical Properties and Characterization
- CHEMnetBASE This link opens in a new window
Electronic collection of several major reference works for chemistry and related sciences from Chapman and Hall/CRC Press. Fully sub-structure searchable. Note: Structure searching requires a free browser plug-in, which may not yet be installed on UCSB Library workstations. The Handbook of Chemistry & Physics and Polymers, A Property Database are fully searchable and offer the ability to produce tables customized to the user's preferences.
Dean's Handbook of Organic Chemistry by Call Number: QD251.3 .G65 2004ISBN: 9780071375931Publication Date: 2003-09-01
- Organic Compounds DatabaseThis database, compiled at Virginia Tech and made available by Colby College, provides physical data on a large number of organic compounds, including molecular weight, melting point, boiling point, index of refraction and UV absorption and mass spectral peaks. It is searchable by name, molecular formula or by data values for the above properties.
Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds by Call Number: QD257.7 .C73 1985ISBN: 9780849304026Publication Date: 1985-05-10Alphabetical listing of organic compounds. Beilstein and CAS numbers are given for each compound. Spectra references and structural formulas are listed in separate sections. Miscellaneous indexes.
Handbook of Physical Properties of Organic Chemicals by Call Number: Reference ; QD257.7 .H374 1997ISBN: 9781566702270Publication Date: 1996-12-27
- Cambridge Structural Database (Web CSD)Produced by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, the Cambridge Structural Database is the world's repository of experimentally determined organic and metal-organic crystal structures, with over 500,000 structures. The WebCSD interface allow for text and numerical searching, substructure searching, similarity searching, and reduced cell seaching of the database. It can display structures in a variety of visualization formats. WebCSD is paid for by the UCSB Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; students in that department may contact departmental IT support for information on downloading additional CSD software.
Spectra: For Spectra sources, see the appropriate section of the General Chemistry guide.
For sample problems in organic compound characterization, try these site:
Organic Structure Elucidation (http://www.nd.edu/~smithgrp/structure/workbook.html)
This site from Notre Dame has 64 problems of varying levels of difficulty
Locating Articles
- SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
New user? You must register for an account. Go to the SciFinder Registration Information page to begin. Commercial use of your University account is strictly prohibited. Searches Chemical Abstracts Service databases, including chemical substances, chemical reactions, chemical suppliers and references, with one of the largest collections in each area. Also provides unique full text access to a large collection of chemical patents via its PatentPak feature.
- Reaxys This link opens in a new window
Indexes millions of chemical substances (organic, inorganic and organometallic) and chemical reactions, providing chemical and physical property information. Combines the Beilstein Handbook for Organic Chemistry, the Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, and the Elsevier Patent Chemistry Database. Searchable by text keywords, numerical physical and chemical properties, and by chemical structures and substructures.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Covers thousands of research journals, and extensive collections of conference proceedings and books across hundreds of disciplines.