Use the resources listed on this page to find relevant information on topics in chemistry. They will give you access to both primary and secondary sources of information.
Chemistry-specific resources
Use these to find literature and chemical information.
Chemical information, plus references to articles and patents in this subject.
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An integrated chemical information system. Use to find physical properties, structures and reactions. Includes inorganic (Gmelin) and organic chemistry (Beilstein). also gives references to articles and patents.
Journal articles and e-books in chemistry.
Access to the full-text of American Chemical Society journals, including the archive.
General resources for finding literature
These sources cover all subjects but are very useful for finding chemistry-related publications.
Use to search across a number of databases covering a range of subject areas. Provides references to journal articles, books, conference papers, patents, research data and other materials.
Gives references to journal articles, books, conference proceedings and patents in all subjects. Also offers extensive tools to analyse results, and measure impact for articles, journals and authors.
When you use our e-resources you are agreeing to our Terms of Use. Please take a moment to look at these by following the link below:
Single- and multi-step new synthetic methods taken from leading journals and patents from 36 issuing authorities. The overall reaction flow is provided for each method, along with a detailed and accurate graphical representation of each reaction step.
This database is part of the Web of Science Core Collection. To search just this part select 'Current Chemical Reactions' from the 'Editions' option.
Source records relating to research data available in web-based data repositories. Covers all scholarly disciplines.
Patent searching in chemical, electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering.
This database is part of the Web of Science and contains the structures and critical supporting data for novel organic compounds reported in leading international journals.
This database is part of the Web of Science Core Collection. To search just this part select 'Index Chemicus' from the 'Editions' drop down list.
Continuously updated methods of chemical analysis approved by AOAC International (formerly the Association of Official Analytical Chemists).
An integrated chemical information system. Use to find physical properties, structures and reactions. Includes inorganic (Gmelin) and organic chemistry (Beilstein). also gives references to articles and patents.
Chemical information, plus references to articles and patents in this subject.
Register to use SciFinder now (University username and password required)
Registration is subject to the terms of the CAS Privacy Policy
CentAUR (Central Archive at the University of Reading) is the University of Reading's institutional repository for research publications and equivalent research outputs.
Gives reference to journal articles covering all aspects of human impact to the environment across the disciplines of agriculture, education, law, health, and technology.
Gives impact factors and other evaluative information for journals in the sciences and social sciences.
Our Inter-Library Loans service can get articles, books and other publications not held at Reading from other libraries (usually from the British Library).
For more information see our webpages:
This box contains fairly comprehensive lists of resources covering topics which should have been taught at A-Level and in the Foundation year at Reading. Use these resources to boost your existing knowledge to ensure you are successful in your studies.
You might also find it useful to return to your old notes or textbooks. Find textbooks via the reading list for each module or search the Library catalogue using the search box below:
This list of resources was extracted from a document compiled by a Chemistry student undertaking a UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme) project. The document below gives detail of what information you are required to know about each of the topics covered by the list:
Atomic structure
Amount of substance
Bonding
Periodic table
Redox reactions
Electrochemistry
Acids and bases
Nomenclature and functional groups
Isomerism
Reactions
Information about mechanisms will be covered throughout the Part 1 organic module.
Aromatic chemistry
Thermodynamics
Kinetics
Equilibria
A lot of these topics will be covered in more detail later on in your degree, but things like Infrared Spectroscopy are really important for lab classes.
Tests for halogenoalkanes, aldehydes and ketones
Mass spectrometry
Infrared spectroscopy
NMR Spectroscopy
Chromatography
This playlist of two videos shows you how to prepare for and perform a literature search. The first video introduces literature searches and their role. The second video covers using the search operators AND and OR to create a search statement, and explains the role of wildcards and truncation in constructing a comprehensive search. This information is also available in written guides - see the links below.
This is a recording of a webinar run for the Chemistry Department by Mariam Plana from CAS on Wed 9 November 2023 (University username and password required to view):
For support and videos covering specific aspects of using SciFinder-n, see the following website:
This is a recording of a webinar run for the Chemistry Department by Guilia Moncelsi from Elsevier on Wed 11 October 2023 (University username and password required to view):