Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: scientizscht on 07/03/2019 15:13:24
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Is there a complete and easy to use and free database of chemical reactions?
Many are not free.
Many have a funny way to search which I am not able to use. They want you to draw the molecule (!).
Any ideas?
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DUDE! There are no "complete" databases of chemical reactions! It is IMPOSSIBLE! Just as there is no "complete" database of numbers.
There are databases that have a significant fraction of chemical reactions that have been published--but they are very far from being free (The American Chemical Society abstracts reactions, which are searchable in Scifinder, and the Beilstein abstracts are searchable in Reaxys--if you have any affiliation with a university, they likely have a subscription to one or both, otherwise you gotta pay for the service provided--novel concept, right?)
Many have a funny way to search which I am not able to use. They want you to draw the molecule (!).
This is by far the BEST way to search reactions (you can even search by substructure, to find many related reactions), unless you have an artificial brain, in which case I recommend searching by SMILES notations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_molecular-input_line-entry_system).
Seriously though, if you can't draw/read the molecular structure of a molecular compound, you have no business trying to do chemistry with it. It takes about a week to learn the basics of chemical structures--I highly recommend you educate yourself on the basics before delving any deeper. (It's like asking about Japanese poetry, and then being surprised that one needs to use Kanji and/or Kana to search for the poems--never mind the fact that the poems are written in freakin' Kanji!)
Long story short: there is no complete listing of an infinite set, there is no free lunch, and you have to be able to read a language before you try to understand texts in it.
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They want you to draw the molecule (!).
Were you expecting to specify it through interpretive dance?Is there a complete ... database of chemical reactions?
No
Because we don't know them all yet.
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They want you to draw the molecule (!).
Were you expecting to specify it through interpretive dance?Is there a complete ... database of chemical reactions?
No
Because we don't know them all yet.
You can compose music without knowing now to read/write notes.
And Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge.
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You can compose music without knowing now to read/write notes.
Ok, but try getting someone else to play your composition if you can't write it down. Or try playing someone else's composition without reading it. Sure it's possible to learn and teach by ear but it is not efficient compared to written communication, and good luck studying the theory of music without being able to read music (staff notation or tab notation)... There is a good reason that we write ideas down--and in languages that suit the topic.
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Go to your library and get some texts on Interlibrary loan. Most of all stop being lazy. If you carry on then it must be assumed that you are a troll. You aren't a troll are you? I would hope that somewhere in your mind is the ability to learn. Otherwise you are wasting a large proportion of your life on nonsense. You must know that is wrong. I mean I don't mind if you do that. One day you will wake up and wonder where all the time went.
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Go to your library and get some texts on Interlibrary loan. Most of all stop being lazy. If you carry on then it must be assumed that you are a troll. You aren't a troll are you? I would hope that somewhere in your mind is the ability to learn. Otherwise you are wasting a large proportion of your life on nonsense. You must know that is wrong. I mean I don't mind if you do that. One day you will wake up and wonder where all the time went.
Keep your 'wisdom' to yourself. Thanks,
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If you're not interested in suggestions, maybe keep your questions to yourself...
jeffreyH's suggestion was somewhat harshly worded, but not exactly unwarranted. You are obviously very curious about a great many topics--which is wholeheartedly welcome in this forum. But the way in which you appear to be approaching the learning process is not going to lead to improved understanding. Increased knowledge, perhaps, but if you're not willing to put the work in to understand the framework it will be nearly impossible to learn the facts in a useful way.
This thread is a case in point (and I could pick from any number of threads you have started): how can you hope to get any useful information out of a list of reactions, if you can't understand what any of the chemicals involved actually are?
I am a professor of chemistry, and one of the classes I teach is the first semester of sophomore organic chemistry. My students have to work their @$$es off to build up a conceptual framework within which to understand the facts. The ones who just memorize 150 examples of reactions might do ok on their exams, but they will be woefully underprepared for the next semester when they will need to learn another 250 reactions (and then grad school, where they will be responsible for thousands of reactions). Those who learn 50 rules, won't have to memorize any reactions, and can understand pretty much every organic reaction they will come across in undergrad, and most of the ones in grad school.
I guess the question is: why do you want to learn this stuff, and how can you approach the learning process to get the most out of it?
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If you're not interested in suggestions, maybe keep your questions to yourself...
I don't recall any of my questions asking about anyone's opinion on what to do in life and other ridiculous suggestions.
As for the rest, I ask question, if you don't like them, don't answer them, simple.
90% of people in the academia are idiots so you may have more luck to 'impress' someone else than me.
Today I received an email from an idiot from UWE who does not comprehend basic concepts.
And in most cases, academics are completely and dangerously ignorant outside a very narrow topic they claim they master, but in fact when you present them a novel idea they go 'oh I don't know /idiotface/'. I don't care to learn to draw molecules because I don't need it.
So please go preach your students who are paying you, not me (thankfully I didn't pay for my degree otherwise I would get depressed thinking that I paid a bunch of idiots who brag to be professors).
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90% of people in the academia are idiots
https://xkcd.com/285/
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You can compose music without knowing now to read/write notes.
You can also fail to compose music in those circumstances...
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It is not surprising that many people like this story.
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When you say things like "90% of people in the academia are idiots so you may have more luck to 'impress' someone else than me" then you show your true colours.
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I don't recall any of my questions asking about anyone's opinion on what to do in life and other ridiculous suggestions.
The naivety of your questions and the deep ignorance revealed by them prompts a concern for your academic welfare. If you do not wish to receive well intentioned advice then stop posting silly questions.
As for the rest, I ask question, if you don't like them, don't answer them, simple.
Now you tell us!
90% of people in the academia are idiots so you may have more luck to 'impress' someone else than me.
And yet you keep coming back to this little corner of academia asking questions for which you lack the intellect or skill to answer. What does that tell us?
And in most cases, academics are completely and dangerously ignorant outside a very narrow topic they claim they master
That is certainly preferable to being completely and dangerously ignorant about just about everything, as revealed by your aforementioned naive questions.
I don't care to learn to draw molecules because I don't need it.
Perhaps not, but rejecting helpful suggestions from a professional chemist is dumb.
Perhaps not, but rejecting helpful suggestions from a professional chemist is discourteous.
So please go preach your students who are paying you, not me (thankfully I didn't pay for my degree otherwise I would get depressed thinking that I paid a bunch of idiots who brag to be professors).
Based upon all your input to this forum you certainly got your money's worth.
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The importance of drawing a molecule is implicit in Chiral's nom de net. The important reactions that keep us alive and make babies are very dependent on the geometric configuration of the molecules involved. You don't even need to get that complicated: the wrong isomer of your chosen fuel molecule won't have enough vapor pressure to start your car on a cold day.
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