Guide: CAS SciFinder
CAS SciFinder‑n is the chemical information search platform from CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service), a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS), which provides access to one of the most comprehensive and reliable collections of substances, reactions and references to support scientific research and discovery.
It allows you to explore CAS content and databases, which integrate information from scientific literature and patents, and cover chemistry and related disciplines (e.g. biomedical sciences, engineering, materials science, agriculture, etc.).
If you have not yet signed up, please follow the instructions on this page before accessing.
Sign-up instructions
To register, you must be physically present at IQS and connected to the IQS network (via Eduroam or a cable).
Click on the IQS registration link.
✅ Important: to complete the form, you must first accept the licence terms and conditions.
Please complete the registration form, bearing the following points in mind:
1) First name and surname
• To avoid errors, enter your first name and surname without accents.
2) Institutional email address (mandatory)
• Use an email address ending in: @iqs.edu o @iqs-blanquerna.url.edu
3) Username and password requirements (“Tips”)
USERNAME
• 5–15 characters
• Must include at least 1 letter
• Must start with a letter or number
• May include: – _ . @
PASSWORD
• 7–15 characters
• At least 2 characters must be different from the username
• Must include 3 of these 4 types:
– letters
– upper-case + lower-case letters
– numbers
– symbols (ej.: @ # % & *)
4) One email address = one user
• You cannot register more than one user with the same email address.
Once you have completed the registration process, CAS will send an email to your institutional email address to:
- Accept the terms of use
- Receive the link to access SciFinder-n
🔎 Important: if you cannot see it in your inbox, please check your Spam/Junk folder.
Content
- Search by structure, name or CAS Registry number: locate substances and explore their associated information.
- Explore reactions and preparations/syntheses: view routes, conditions and procedures linked to substances and relevant literature.
- Retrieve literature and patents: apply filters and tools to quickly find related references.
- Research workflow support: use features (e.g. citation analysis and content exploration) to contextualise results and prioritise reading.
SciFinder‑n provides access to the CAS Content Collection and CAS databases that bring together information on chemistry and related sciences.
It includes, amongst others, the following major sections:
- CAS REGISTRY: a collection of substances with structures, names, properties and associated data.
- CAS References: bibliographic records that enable users to track scientific literature.
- CAS Reactions: a database of chemical reactions and preparations.
- Extensive coverage: it indexes global chemical literature (articles, patents and other research materials) and links to information on substances and reactions.
- Literature review in chemistry and related fields: locating relevant articles and patents on a specific topic or compound.
- Identification and verification of substances: checking structures, synonyms and relationships between compounds.
- Searching for and analysing reactions: identifying routes, conditions and preparations described in the literature.
- Scientific monitoring: keeping up to date with developments and trends through indexed and linked literature.
Some practical examples:
- “I need prior art for an idea or invention”: locate relevant patents and non-patent literature and map the state of the art.
- “I am designing a synthesis”: explore reported reactions and preparations for a compound (or related compounds) and compare alternatives.
- “I want to ensure I cite the most relevant sources”: identify key works on a substance/topic and follow connections (citations, relationships between records).
- “I’m looking for literature beyond pure chemistry”: extend the search to related fields where CAS indexes literature (e.g., biomedical, materials, engineering).
- This service is intended for research and teaching purposes.
- Access requires registration / a personal account and institutional credentials.
Please refer to this page for instructions on how to register correctly.