To locate books on your topic, use the COAST catalog. 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.
"Comprehensive Chemistry" series
Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry QD 400 .C65 1984
Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry QD 415 .C63 1999
Comprehensive Organic Chemistry QD 245 .C65
Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry QD 411 .C65 1982
Comprehensive Polymer Science QD 381 .C66 1989
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.
"Dictionary of Compounds" Series
These series are alphabetical lists of compounds, with excellent indexing (including synonyms, molecular formula, and CAS Registry Numbers). Each compound entry provides basic physical data, with references to other data, including methods of preparation. Note that for any given compound, much of the data is duplicated from one set to the other.
Dictionary of Organic Compounds, 6th ed. Ref QD 251 .D5 1996
Dictionary of Organometallic Compounds Ref QD 411 .D53 1984
All of the above "Dictionaries" are available online in "Combined Chemical Dictionary", a part of CHEMnetBASE (http://www.chemnetbase.com. In CHEMnetBASE, the dictionaries are searchable by chemical name, formula, physical properties and, with the proper browser plug-in, by structure or substructute.
Knovel.com (http://www.knovel.com/)
Knovel
provides electronic versions of an extensive collection of reference
works in chemistry, including several for organic chemistry. Data
tables are numerically searchable, and some titles provide interactive
tables, graphs and equations.
Organic Chemist's Desk Reference QD 246 .D52 1995 gives a user's guide to DOC, with abbreviations, definitions and some useful property tables.
Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds QD 400 .C5
This
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.)
Porphyrin Handbook Ref QP 671 .P6 P67 2000
Very up-to-date and comprehensive ten-volume work on the organic and organometallic chemistry and biochemistry of porphyrins.
Science of Synthesis 
This is an electronic version of a handbook of organic synthetic methods, in two parts: Science of Synthesis
contains 22 volumes, covering the fields of Organometallics; Hetarenes
and Related Ring Systems; Compounds with Four Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds
e.g. Carbonic Acids, Imidic Acids etc.; Compounds with Three
Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds e.g. Nitriles, Isocyanides, and Derivatives,
Amides and Derivatives, Peptides, Lactams, Thio-, Seleno- and
Tellurocarboxylic Acids and Derivatives, and Compounds with Two
Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds e.g. Ketones, and Heteroatom Analogues of
Aldehydes and Ketones. It is browsable by the table of contents, and
may be searched by chemical name or chemical structure.
The Houben-Weyl Archive
(1909 to 2004) provides immediate access to 146 000 product specific
experimental procedures, 580 000 structures, and 700 000 references in
all fields of synthetic organic chemistry - dating back to the early
1800s. It may be browsed by table of contents, or searched for name
reactions. Most of the earlier volumes are in German.
Organic Reactions Ref QD 251 .O68
Annual
publication with review articles on important synthetic methods.
Articles are published in no particular order, but the series is well
indexed, with cumulative author and chapter/topic indexes in each
volume for all the preceding volumes.
Organic Syntheses
Available in print at SEL Refernce Area, Ref QD 262 .O68
Annual publication with tested syntheses of organic and organometallic
compounds. Gives detailed descriptions of synthetic techniques,
reagents, yields and safety aspects. It is well indexed by authors,
compound names, reaction types, and molecular formulas.
The print collective volumes include revised and updated syntheses from
annual volumes. There is a cumulative index for the first eight
collective volumes.
The online version is freely available to the public and contains the
contents of the entire series, up to one year before the present,
searchable by chemical name, CAS Registry Number, other text terms, and
by structure or substructure. Use of this excellent database requires a
Java-capable browser.
Comprehensive Organic Name Reactions and Reagents Ref QD 77 .W36 2009
This three-volume set lists reactions and reagents alphabetically, and provides a general descriptin of each, reaction diagrams, proposed mechanisms, modifications, applications, related reactions and examples, with extensive references.
Comprehensive Organic Transformations, 2nd ed. Ref QD 262 .L355 1999
This
newly-updated guide to functional group preparations by Richard C.
Larock, is organized by the type of compound (e.g. alkanes, esters,
nitriles), then by the method of preparation (reduction, alkylation),
then by the type of starting material. Each section gives references to
review articles, as well as a list of specific examples with
references. This edition covers the literature up to 1995. The first
edition, published in 1989, is available for check out.
Name Reactions: A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms, 2nd ed. (3rd edition is available in print at Ref QD 291 .L5 2006)
Reaction diagrams with mechanisms and references.
Name Reactions and Reagents in Organic Synthesis Ref QD 291 .N86 2005
Many
reactions and reagents in organic synthesis have been named for their
discoverers. This volume lists name reactions, with general scheme,
mechanism and examples and name reagents, with uses, preparations,
precautions and examples. Both sections have cross-references to March's Advanced Organic Chemistry (QD 251.2 .M37, which edition is unspecified) and the reagents section cross-references to Fieser and Fieser (see below.)
Organic Syntheses Based on Name Reactions Ref QD 262 .H324 2002
Structure diagrams, references and examples with reaction conditions and yields.
Fieser and Fieser's Reagents for Organic Synthesis Ref QD 262 .F5
Classic series reporting on new reagents and new uses for old reagents.
Alphabetical list of reagents, with author and subject index.
Cumulative index for Vols. 1-12.
Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis Ref QD 77 .E53 1995
This popular resource contains articles on the reagent use of hundreds of different chemicals.
The articles give physical data and brief, but detailed description of uses. Excellent references and indexing (compound name,
formula, type of reaction) Articles are arranged alphabetically by reagent name. We also have subsets of EROS available in electronic form via Knovel.com:
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics SEL Desk QD 65 .H3
One of the most familiar sources; it contains a variety of useful
physical and chemical data, with some references. Tables are grouped in
broad subject sections. The main table of organic compounds contains
data on melting points, boiling points, density, refractive index and
solubility, as well as cross-references to Beilstein and Merck and the
CAS Registry Number. Structure diagrams are listed after the main
table, and there are synonym and molecular formula indexes following
the structures. Available online as part of CHEMnetBASE. The online
version is searchable by chemical name, formula or physical properties.
Many tables may be sorted by property.
Merck Index (https://themerckindex.cambridgesoft.com/)
SEL Desk RS 356 .M4
Published by Merck Pharmaceuticals, with data primarily on organics, strongest on drugs. It is organized by chemical name,
usually the common or trade name. It includes physical data, preparation references, toxicity and uses. Merck is
well-indexed, by Registry Number, molecular formula and synonyms. The online version may be searched by text terms or numeric
properties, or by structure (with the appropriate browser plug-in.) Both print and online versions include a dictionary of
name reactions in organic chemistry, with reaction diagrams.
Aldrich Catalog (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/>) SEL Desk TP 202 .A48, also uncataloged copies
In addition to serving as an alphabetical catalog of the chemicals available from Aldrich, it includes basic physical
data, cross-references to Beilstein, Merck and Fieser, and safety information. It has indexes by
molecular formula and CAS Registry Number. The online version is free, and contains the same data, plus links to Aldrich's
FT-IR, Raman and NMR spectra, and Materials Safety Data Sheets.
Dean's Handbook of Organic Chemistry Ref QD 251.3 .G65 2004
Contains
a host of tables of organic chemical properties. In some respects it is
more complete than the CRC above, and perhaps easier to use.
Organic Compounds Database http://www.colby.edu/chemistry/cmp/cmp.html
This
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.
CRC Handbook of Data on Organic Compounds (HODOC) Ref QD 257.7 .H36
This multi-volume set gives structures, basic physical properties of organic compounds and references to find compounds in Beilstein
and to Sadtler spectra collections. Compounds are listed in
alphabetical order by their CAS systematic names. It has indexes for
synonyms, formulas, spectral peaks, and CAS Registry Numbers. Now in
its 3rd edition.
Available online as part of CHEMnetBASE, under the title "Properties of Organic Compounds",
Handbook of Physical Properties of Organic Compounds Ref QD 257.7 .H374 1997
This
single volume work gives structure and data important to environmental
fate of compounds (mp, bp, water solubility, octanol-water partition
coefficient, vapor pressure, pKa, Henry's Law constant, and atmospheric
hydroxyl radical reaction rate constant), and references. It is
arranged by CAS Registry Number, with name and molecular formula
indexes.
Spectra: For Spectra sources, see the appropriate section of the General Chemistry guide.
For sample problems in organic compound characterization, try these sites:
WebSpectra (http://w3.chem.ucla.edu/~webspectra/)
This UCLA website has 75 compounds of varying levels of difficulty.
Organic Structure Elucidation (http://www.nd.edu/~smithgrp/structure/workbook.html)
This site from Notre Dame has 64 problems of varying levels of difficulty.
SciFinder: SciFinder is an end-user oriented interface to the Chemical Abstracts Service databases: CAPLUS, REGISTRY, CASREACT,and CHEMCATS. s databases cover the entire literature of chemistry, including journal articles, patents, conference papers and more, from before 1900 to the present, by far the most comprehensive database of the chemical literature. It may be searched by author, topic, corporate source, chemical name, molecular formula or chemical structure (including substructures and reaction diagrams).
It is available in two versions:SciFinder Web uses a Web browser interface. Users must first register, using a valid ucsb.edu e-mail address. It is compatible with the campus proxy server for off campus use. SciFinder Scholar is a client-server system, which requires installation of the SFS client on the terminal where you wish to use it. The client may be downloaded and installed on any Windows or Mac computer by a UCSB user. In the UCSB Davidson Library, SciFinder is available at selected workstations in the Sciences-Engineering Library (2nd floor North).
Methods in Organic Synthesis: MOS provides quick, cost-effective access to important new developments in organic synthesis. It covers such topics as new reactions and reagents, functional group changes, the introduction of chiral centers, and enzyme and biological transformations. Items are selected for inclusion in MOS only where there is detail of novel or interesting features in organic synthetic methods so that there are no routine preparations to plow through. Each MOS item includes reaction schemes, title and bibliographic details, and the items are categorised by five indexes: Author, Product, Reaction, Reactant and Reagent. MOS covers late 1999 to the present. It is only available from ucsb.edu addresses.
Natural Product Updates: NPU is a unique source of current information in natural product chemistry, providing quick access to recent signficant advances in the subject. NPU covers new natural products, known compounds from new sources, isolation studies, structural determinations, new properties and activities, biosynthesis and biological activities. Each monthly issue contains approximately 200 items with structure diagrams, together with trivial and taxonomic names, molecular formulae, physical properties, and spectral data. NPU has six indexes: Authors, Non-plant sources, Taxonomic names, Biological activity, Compound Class and Trivial names. NPU covers late 1999 to the present. It is only available from ucsb.edu addresses.
Web of Science (Science Citation Index): The Science Citation Index database in Web of Science covers some 3600 journals in the sciences. It covers 1945-present, and for recent years has searchable abstracts. It also has searchable cited references, so you can track an older reference on, for instance, a synthetic method forward to more recent applications or to other related records. It is only available on campus, from ucsb.edu addresses.
