Step-by-Step Guide to Element-Based Search
CompoundLookup makes finding chemical compounds intuitive and simple. Here's how to get the most out of our unique element-based search.
Step 1: Navigate to the Periodic Table
When you visit CompoundLookup, you'll see an interactive periodic table on the homepage. Each element is color-coded by its category: - Red - Alkali metals - Orange - Alkaline earth metals - Yellow - Transition metals - Green - Metalloids - Cyan - Nonmetals - Purple - Halogens - Pink - Noble gases
Step 2: Select Your Elements
Click on any element to select it. You can select up to 5 elements at a time. Selected elements will be highlighted and appear in the selection bar above the table.
Example searches: - Select H and O to find water and other hydrogen-oxygen compounds - Select C, H, and O to find organic compounds like alcohols and sugars - Select Fe and O to find iron oxides
Step 3: View Compounds
Click the "View Compounds" button to see all compounds containing your selected elements. Results include: - Molecular formula - IUPAC name - Common names - Molecular weight - Direct link to PubChem for more details
Step 4: Explore and Paginate
For popular element combinations, you may find hundreds or thousands of compounds. Use the pagination to browse through all results.
Pro Tips
Tip 1: Start Broad, Then Narrow Begin with 2 elements to see the full range of possibilities, then add more elements to narrow down results.
Tip 2: Use Single Elements Selecting just one element shows ALL compounds containing that element. Great for exploring an element's chemistry.
Tip 3: Check Related Combinations On each results page, we show related element combinations in the sidebar. Click these to explore similar compounds.
Common Use Cases
Finding Organic Compounds Select C (Carbon) and H (Hydrogen) as your base, then add O, N, or S for different organic compound classes.
Exploring Metal Oxides Select any metal element plus O (Oxygen) to see all oxide compounds.
Discovering Salts Select a metal and a halogen (like Na + Cl) to find salt compounds.
What Makes This Different
Remember: No other tool on the internet offers this capability. Traditional databases require exact formulas. We let you explore by elements.