Explore in SciFinder

Searching in SciFinder® gives you

  • Powerful Smartsearch technology so you can ask questions how you think.

  • Access to the world’s most reliable and comprehensive chemical and scientific information.

  • Customized tools to locate the most current and accurate substance, reaction or reference information you need.

  • Options to specify structures, chemical properties, nomenclature, document types, keywords, authors, companies or organizations.

Search how you want. SciFinder integrates substances, reactions, references, regulatory and commercial availability information into a single, powerful tool.

Explore options in SciFinder


Substance searching on SciFinder gives you complete control and access to the world’s most comprehensive substances collection in the CAS REGISTRYSM.

  • Explore through a variety of structure search techniques such as exact, substructure, similarity or Markush.
  • Search with confidence using Smartsearch, a technology that thinks like you and automatically considers tautomers (including keto-enol), coordination compounds, charged compounds, isotopes, free ions, resonance and aromatic systems (acyclic/cyclic).
  • Retrieve substances using chemical property value, molecular formula, CAS Registry Number®, or chemical name including trade name.

It’s simple and fast to specify the structure you want whether you draw it yourself, use a template, copy and paste (ChemDraw, ISISDraw) or convert (CAS Registry Number, SMILES, InChI). SciFinder supports multiple structure drawing conventions found in leading structure drawing packages, and you can initiate a SciFinder search directly from ChemDraw.

SciFinder drawing tools give you precise control over substitution, customizable R-groups, system variables and multiple bond types such as stereochemistry, repeating groups and variable positions.

Explore substances in SciFinder


Reaction search on SciFinder with powerful structure searching tools designed to make it easier for you to access our extensive reaction collection. Use your time more efficiently with access to comprehensive information, multiple search types and flexible search options. Get back to the lab faster and with confidence with the ability to view experimental procedures as well as find information about catalysts, reaction conditions and reagents all in a single source.

  • Use special search techniques to find similar reactions or to find additional reactions for the same product using different starting materials.
  • Get the reactions you’re most interested in with the powerful tools relied upon for substance searching plus functional groups, atom mapping, bond-breaking and bond-making, and role assignment features.
  • Limit your reaction search before you start with search filters such as Solvent Hierarchy – built by experts at CAS so your synthesis can use greener, less expensive, or more readily available solvents.
  • Identify and eliminate reactions with extreme conditions, expensive catalysts or non-standard reagents.

Explore Reactions in SciFinder


Reference searching in SciFinder keeps you up-to-date on the most current and accurate information available including new and emerging areas of technology.

  • SciFinder was designed by chemists and scientists to think like you with powerful Smartsearch technology that automatically enhances your search with synonyms and alternative spellings for keywords, authors and companies so you always have the information you need!
  • SciFinder can automatically remove duplicates and is the only source that brings you information from early discovery through clinical trial with combined CAplusSM and MEDLINE® content in a single tool.
  • Find references you need with tools designed to search the way you want whether it’s a type of search, general topic or a specific patent number.
  • Conveniently search and manage citations with options to locate relevant information quickly.

Explore references in SciFinder