Organic reaction mechanism help -- Looking for resources

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding resources for an assignment that requires identifying a named organic reaction, its original reference, and the experimental evidence supporting its mechanism. Participants share their experiences and suggest strategies for locating relevant information, focusing on the challenges posed by pay-walled journal articles.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in finding named reactions and their original references, seeking advice on free resources.
  • Another participant suggests that the original poster (OP) should consult books, implying that the search may be superficial.
  • The OP clarifies that they have been searching databases without success.
  • Some participants recommend following references from existing literature, although the OP notes many are pay-walled.
  • Concerns are raised about the credibility of claims regarding pay-walled named reactions, with questions about specific journals and their access policies.
  • A participant highlights that individual subscriptions to journals can be prohibitively expensive, complicating access for those without institutional support.
  • Another participant suggests looking for older reactions, as original articles may be freely available online.
  • Links to Nobel Prize resources are provided as potential avenues for historical context on reactions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of accessing pay-walled resources and the need for alternative strategies. However, there is no consensus on the best approach to finding the required information, as some suggest looking for older reactions while others emphasize the importance of institutional access.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in access to journal articles due to paywalls and the potential lack of resources for those not affiliated with institutions that have subscriptions. The discussion reflects varying levels of access and differing strategies for overcoming these challenges.

ReidMerrill
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I have an assignment in which I must find a named reaction, the original reference to it, and show what experimental evidence was used to develop the reactions mechanism. So far I've had no luck finding anything. It's hard enough finding the original reference and so far I haven't been able to find any journal articles showing the mechanism or the development of if for any named reaction.

Does anyone know any good and free resources that could help me with this?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
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ReidMerrill said:
a named reaction, the original reference to it, and show what experimental evidence was used to develop the reactions mechanism. So far I've had no luck finding anything.
Methinks you're pulling a "Tom Sawyer." Crack a book, and get back to us.
 
I'm not asking answers. I've literally been looking up named reactions in a few databases and I haven't came up with anything useful
 
Have you tried following the references?
 
Bystander said:
Have you tried following the references?
Yes. Unfortunately a large portion of them are pay-walled.
 
"Name(d) reactions" pay-walled? Which names? Unless there's been a big change in the way JOC, JACS, and other major journals operate, doesn't strike me as credible.
 
ReidMerrill said:
Yes. Unfortunately a large portion of them are pay-walled.
Doesn't your institution have access?
 
Bystander said:
"Name(d) reactions" pay-walled? Which names? Unless there's been a big change in the way JOC, JACS, and other major journals operate, doesn't strike me as credible.
Most ACS journals (and most journals in general) require a subscription, either institutional or individual. Typically, an individual subscription is prohibitively expensive (several hundred dollars per journal title), so if your institution doesn't have a subscription, you're kind of screwed.

To the OP: what name reactions are you considering? Often, the person who discovers the reaction is not necessarily the person who elucidates the mechanism.
 
ReidMerrill said:
I have an assignment in which I must find a named reaction, the original reference to it, and show what experimental evidence was used to develop the reactions mechanism. So far I've had no luck finding anything. It's hard enough finding the original reference and so far I haven't been able to find any journal articles showing the mechanism or the development of if for any named reaction.

Does anyone know any good and free resources that could help me with this?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

That's a very mean assignment given by your teacher if you are not in college or in corporation where they have contracts with major publishers allowing people in the institution to read them for free.

Your only chance is to look for open access journals or papers.
 
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