Where can I find the name for a specific compound, given only its molecular formula?

CS ChemFinder by Cambridge Software will accept molecular formulas and return compound names. For example, typing in C9H11NO4 returned 15 names:

DL-Dopa
Levodopa
Urethane diacrylate
N-Maleoyl-5-aminopentanoic acid
N-Maleoyl-3-aminopropionic acid, ethyl ester
1-[(acetoxy)methyl]-3,4-dimethyl-pyrrole-2,5-dione
2,4-Dihydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)benzamide
3-Carboxy-1,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-acetic acid
N-Hydroxy-L-tyrosine
3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-2,4-dicarboxylic acid 4-methyl ester
Benzene, 1-(dimethoxymethyl)-2-nitro-
1,4-Dimethoxy-2-methyl-5-nitrobenzene
Forfenimex
2-Amino-4,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid
N-(Acryloxyethyl) Succinimide

Each returned name is a link to further information about the compound, which usually includes MSDS, chemical properties, and structural formula.

The Chemfinder database contains over 75,000 compounds- if you don't find it here, it's unlikely that you'll find it elsewhere.

If you'd prefer a paper resource, The Merck Index published by Chapman & Hall provides another route to compound names from formulas (and vice versa). The index is a 2300 page book that contains over 10000 compound entries. It is now available on CD ROM. The entries include chemical formulas and structures, physical properties such as density and solubility, references on syntheses, and toxicity and therapeutic category.

Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu