Straightforward Procedure for Locating Chemical Compounds in the Beilstein Handbook J. Sunkel, E. Hoffmann, and R. Luckenbach Beilstein Institute for Literature of Organic Chemistry, Varrentrappstr. 40-42, D-6000 FrankfurtlM. 90, West Germany More than 10 years ago Hancock published a series of articles entitled "An Introduction to the Literature of Organic Chemistry" (1 a-c). In one article (lc) Hancock dealt with the "Beilstein Handbook" in great detail pointing out some problems in the location of specific compounds, caused by the large area encompassed by the Handbook (cf. Table 1). Since 1968 more than another 100 Beilstein volumes have been published, thus emphasizing the need for a simple method which enables the user to locate any particular organic compound in Beilstein by means of a schematic, straightforward approach. T o f d f i i this need a concise procedure has been developed hy the staff of the Beilstein Institute (as laid down in the Scheme), in which for any particular compound, the relevant Beilstein volume is found directly by performing a limited number of formalsteps. The compound is then located within the corresponding sub-volumes or pads hy consulting the corresponding indexes or Cumulative Indexes (in German: Gesamtregister), respectively. This schematic procedure will prove to he of special assistance when filing compounds in those (newer) parts of the Beilstein Handbook where complete General or Cumulative Indexes are not yet available. A complete General Index exists for the series H-EII. T o provide additional aid for the English-speaking Beilstein user a Beilstein Dictionary (German/English) is available ( 2 ) ,containing a total of about 2,100 entries, in which most German words occurring in the Beilstein Handbook, as well as all common abbreviations, are alphabetically listed with their English equivalents. (This booklet, as well as additional gratis aids for the user of the Beilstein Handbook, is listed a t the end of this article.) In this respect it might be of interest to the user of Beilstein to note that the Fifth Supplementary Series (E V) starting in 1984185and comprising the organic chemistry literature from 1960-1980, will he published completely in English. Explanatory Rules for the Scheme In Beilstein all chemical compounds are arranged according to their constitution. Natural products [e.g. oligosaccbarides, peptides (with up to twelve amino acids), nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids] are recorded also. Starting with the series E III/IV, carotenoids and carbohydrates (whichwere earlier allocated to Volume 30 and 31) are listed according to their constitution in Volumes 1to 27, and may also he located using the following scheme.
Registry (Index) compounds' (cf. Rule 1)serve as aguide in searching for compounds, whereas derivatives (cf. Rule 2) are dealt with following the corresponding registry compound. In order to locate a deriuatiue in Beilstein this first has to he transformed into the corresponding registry (index) compound (cf. Rules 3 to 6). Rule 1 Registry (Index) compounds are: (a) unsubstituted hydrocarbons, and also hydrocarbons with those functional groups listed in Table 2 (see below), e.g. CH,-CH-CH,-CH?--CH:
CH~+H
I c.H,
/OH
CH,-COOH
'cm
(b) heterocycles, whose ring carbon atoms are substituted by H, hydrocarbon residues and/or functional group as listed in Table 2, ex.
L.
Rule 2 Deriuatiues of reeistrv comnounds are all those cornwounds -~ whirh do n
