Skip To Content

ACD/Labs Blog

After a long and arduous attempt at an elucidation, it is quite common to be left with more than one candidate structure. In some cases collecting more data is not an option and an exhaustive database/literature search turns up nothing useful, the alternative approach is to synthesize the proposed candidates and then compare the spectral...

Structure elucidation is a skill learnt through years of practice. One of the best ways to learn is to learn by example. I feel that there is no better way to do this than mentoring through specific scenarios step-by-step. My intentions behind this blog are to offer a unique source for chemists who use a...

A previous blog described the Internet as a valuable tool in searching for previous work based on a molecular formula. In addition to searching the Internet “directly”, certain online sites can assist and facilitate the search process. Some of these sites are free while others have a fee. Be aware that the Internet is full...

Searching for unknowns across an internal library or database can serve as a major time saver. A more accessible database is the Internet. Many chemists and elucidators search the World Wide Web using a mass, a molecular formula or a fragment. Be aware that proprietary data sent over the Internet runs the risk of being...

In light of the posting by Oliver Fiehn’s group (http://fiehnlab.ucdavis.edu/projects/Seven_Golden_Rules/Ring-Double-Bonds/), I’ve decided to blog some compounds I’ve encountered in the lab. Using the 2nd formula from the previous blog (http://acdlabs.typepad.com/elucidation/2008/03/rings-double-bo.html), for some cases the RDBE calculation will work if the correct atom valence is known. Note: the nitrochloroform compound can be drawn more than one...