What is Beilstein CrossFire?

Types of Information Available through Beilstein

The Beilstein database is one of the best databases for organic chemistry, particularly synthetic organic chemistry. It contains information on approximately 7 million organic substances that have been fully characterized. Information available includes:

Structure and reaction diagrams
Identification information (name, formula, registry numbers, etc.)
Isolation and purification information
Derivatives
Physical properties, including
- Structure and energy parameters
- State of matter and change of state information
- Transport phenomena
- Optical properties
- Spectra (UV, VIS, MS, NMR, IR, ESR, X-ray, etc.)
- Electrical and magnetic properties
- Electrochemistry
- Behavior of liquid/solid, liquid/liquid, and liquid/vapor systems
- Solution behavior
- Energy data
- Optical data
- Boundary surface phenomena
- Adsorption
- Association
Pharmacological and ecological data

Not all compounds contain all different types of data. Some data, often those quantities that can be described by a number, word, or short phrase, are given explicitly in the record for the compound. Others simply have a literature reference.

Coverage of the Literature and Search Capabilities

Beilstein references the chemical literature published in about 200 prestigious organic chemistry journals from 1779 to date. It is updated quarterly. The database may be searched using structures and/or text (property information, chemical name, molecular formula).

Client Software

Beilstein is accessed through the CrossFire client, which you must download and install on your personal computer before you can connect to the database. The clients are installed on public workstations in the Chemistry Library, the Engineering Library, and the Math/Physics/Astronomy Library. Other databases available on the CrossFire client include the Gmelin database of inorganic compounds and AutoNom, a program that provides the IUPAC name for structures that the user draws.

Why should I use Beilstein CrossFire?

How do I install the CrossFire client on my computer?

How do I search Beilstein for information?

Take me back to the main menu!