Try Reaxys for chemical information–Training and resources available

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Reaxys provides user-friendly access to reliable information about millions of chemical structures, reactions, and properties. It is the Web-based successor to the Crossfire system.
Come to the Using Reaxys workshop on Thursday, November 19th from 9 – 11 a.m. in the South Campus (main) Library Classroom to learn more from Lee Smith, Ph.D., a Reaxys trainer.
Reaxys features three well-respected databases in a single access point:

  • CrossFire Beilstein – The definitive source of information on the structures, reactions, and properties of organic carbon compounds, drawn from the journal literature back to the 18th century.
  • CrossFire Gmelin – The definitive source of information on structures and properties of inorganic and metal-organic compounds, drawn from the journal and patent literature back to the early 19th century.
  • Patent Chemistry Database – A new file of organic chemistry information drawn from selected English-language chemical patents (US, WO, EP, 1976- ). Additional historical (1869-1980) patent coverage comes from the Beilstein and Gmelin files.

The legacy Crossfire Commander software client may still be used, but this access will be discontinued in 2010. Campus users are encouraged to make the switch as soon as possible, for these reasons:

  • More user-friendly, task-driven interface
  • Uses a Web browser, not client software
  • It works on a Mac!
  • Off-campus (remote) use is possible with VPN
  • Gmelin data on inorganic/organometallic substances is available to UT Southwestern users for the first time
  • Reaxys is under active development; Crossfire Commander is a legacy product. Most Crossfire functionality is available in Reaxys, plus a number of new features and tools not previously available, including a synthesis planner, hitset relevance ranking and filtering, and more.

Reaxys offers a robust array of support and instructional materials, including live Webinars, training videos, downloads, and PDF and PowerPoint guides. From the Library’s home page use the “Quick Links” drop down to access Reaxys. Reaxys FAQ and Tutorials are located at “Tutorials/Support” under the “Get Help/Ask Us” menu found on the left side of the Library’s home page.
Reaxys is currently available to UT Southwestern users on a complimentary basis with full licensing beginning in Jan. 2010.

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