Accessing CrossFire & Help Guides

About CrossFire

CrossFire is a comprehensive database comprised of substance, reaction and citation information. It consists of the Beilstein Handbook for Organic Chemistry and the Gmelin Handbook for Inorganic Chemistry. The database is organized by chemical substance, with sub-headings (e.g. melting point, reactions, etc.) containing citation information. It can be searched using text, chemical structures or numerically.

Accessing CrossFire

CrossFire is available on the productivity workstations in the MacKimmie Library Information Commons, workstations in the Health Sciences Information Commons, and workstations in the Gallagher Library of Geology and Geophysics, plus machines in the CAL Lab and Chemistry Students' Chapter (SB 046).

It is also available anywhere on campus if you download the Client (CrossFire Commander).

Once installed, click on the Start button --> Programs --> (MDL CrossFire Commander) --> MDL CrossFire Commander

• In the Commander window, click Connect if necessary, to connect to the server
• In the Commander window, click Select Database to choose Beilstein for information on organic compounds or Gmelin for information on inorganic compounds.

For more help:

• Elsevier's CrossFire Training for Academics page 
  • Includes guides, webinars/tutorials - looks a bit better using Internet Explorer
• CrossFire guide from U of C (pdf document)
• Gmelin Tips and Reminders from U of C (pdf) 
• CrossFire Quick Guide from U Wisconsin: http://chemistry.library.wisc.edu/beilstein/
• Structure searching: setting free sites (video)
• Structure searching: defining generic atoms (video)
• Structure searching: defining generic groups (video)
• Structure searching: making/breaking bonds (video)
• Downloading and installing the CrossFire client (flash video)
• Connecting to CrossFire (flash video)

For more information:

• MDL's CrossFire Beilstein page - includes Beilstein datastructure, list of journals indexed, and general Beilstein information
• MDL's CrossFire Gmelin page - includes Gmelin datastructure, list of journals indexed, and general Gmelin information

For assistance in connecting to CrossFire or in searching the database, please contact the appropriate Information Desk, or contact Jennifer Lee, Chemistry Librarian (220-3726).

Note: CrossFire can be searched over the Internet from any computer on campus, but you must first download the CrossFire client to your computer.