Finding synthesis methods in SciFinder
From WolfWikis
There are a few different ways to go about finding synthesis references in SciFinder.
Below are instructions for finding syntheses using the web version of SciFinder software. (Instructions for the desktop client version are found here).
Contents |
Method One: find the chemical first
Click Explore Substances, then click Substance Identifier. (Or draw a structure and search if you have structure information.)
- Enter search terms and click Search
- CAS number is most concise and uniquely identifies a substance
- Common names or other identifiers usually work, but CAS number is recommended
- To find syntheses, either:
- Check the box next to your substance and click Get Reactions. Select Product as the reaction role and click Get Reactions. You will see reactions in which your chemical is a product - i.e., synthesis methods. You can see from the reactions how your chemical might be produced, but check the abstract (click on the citation title) to be sure it's clear.
- or Click the references (under each structure, it will say "~187 references" or some other number), check References Associated with: Preparation, and click Get References.
See the Working With Results section below for tips on how to proceed.
If you don't see any results, try Method Two below.
Working with results
What are we looking at? SciFinder is presenting us with a list of articles that match our search: in this case, articles which contain reaction information in which our selected chemical was a product. SciFinder also diagrams the reaction of interest with any reactants, reagents, catalysts, steps, solvents, and stages.
- Tip: articles are displayed in reverse chronological order. CH224 students might want to jump to the oldest first. For some applications, such as the CH224 literature search assignment, older articles may be easier to use and describe the method in a more straightforward manner. (Obviously the older the method, the greater chance the synthesis has been superceded by newer methods--whether this is OK depends on your research need.)
Click on an article title to see details. At this point, we know that the article matches our search, but the actual methodology used might not be clear for one specific chemical. The synthesis method may only be implied, speaking for a more general class of chemicals. Depending on the nature of your research, this could be fine or you may want to look for alternatives. (SciFinder also has some historical indexing problems [1] that still lead to difficulty!)
- Tip: not every paper you find is going to have a clear, direct method of synthesis, despite what you see in the search results. One way to better ensure relevance is to check the indexing before tracking down the full text. Click citation title to see details on the reference. You will see bibliographic information (title, authors, etc.) an abstract, and indexing terms. You want to make sure the chemical you're researching is listed in the indexing, annotated by "Role: SPN (Synthetic preparation); PREP (Preparation) (prepn. of)"--or something similar--to indicate it is synthesized.
Look for your chemical's CAS number. If you don't see it, or it's not indexed as preparation, the article may not, in fact, directly discuss a synthesis method of your chemical. It may discuss a more general method of synthesis, or discuss a related chemical, or be an altogether false hit. Checking the indexing before taking the time to read the paper can save you some trouble here.
- Click the Get Full Text link (may be visible after clicking article citation) to link to full article. You will be able to get to it if (1) the Libraries subscribe to the journal, and (2) full text is online. This will be true for most (but NOT ALL) chemistry research, regardless of the age of the article. If you don't find it, note as much of the citation as you can see: article title, authors, journal title, volume/year, issue, page (or save it as described on the SciFinder Scholar page) and look for it manually.
Method Two: literature search
Literature searching is a more direct but less exact method in most cases. Search time can be reduced and simplified, but you may have to wade through a lot of false hits. Follow the SciFinder Scholar literature searching procedure, as follows:
Click Explore References,
- Research Topic for keywords (or change to Author, etc., if appropriate)
- Enter search terms related to synthesis. For example:
- preparation of acetic acid
- synthesis of caffeine
- SciFinder will strip out all stop words (terms that are not research concepts, e.g. and, not, the, or, is; you can include them anyway and enter your search in plain English)
- No phrases, quotes, parentheses, or wildcards
To improve results:
- Use Filters prior to search
- Particular document types, years, or other limitations
- Use Analysis/Refine tbas following search (on the right in the search results screen)
- Analyzing can help you find important authors or journals
- Refining will help cut down to more relevant results
Click on title for abstract and details. Note options to get related substances and reactions, citing references, full text, and stable link.
- Click the Get Full Text link (may be visible after clicking article citation) to link to full article. You will be able to get to it if (1) the Libraries subscribe to the journal, and (2) full text is online. This will be true for most (but NOT ALL) chemistry research, regardless of the age of the article. If you don't find it, note as much of the citation as you can see: article title, authors, journal title, volume/year, issue, page (or save it as described on the SciFinder Scholar page) and look for it manually.
Check the Working With Results section above for help examining your references.