Introduction
Reaction Explorer is an interactive system for learning and practicing reactions, syntheses and mechanisms in organic chemistry, with advanced support for the automatic generation of random problems, curved-arrow mechanism diagrams, and inquiry-based learning.
Organic Chemistry Tutorials
Reaction Drills: Single-Step Reaction Completion
Reaction Drills produce a series of (ungraded) reaction equations with one hidden component (reactant, reagent or product) and asks you to mentally "fill-in-the-blank" to test and train your skill, similar to flashcards.
Synthesis Explorer: Multi-Step Synthesis Design
The primary interface for solving multi-step synthesis design problems and for freely exploring different reactant and reagent combinations.
Mechanism Explorer: Arrow-Pushing Mechanism Diagrams
Reactions support curved-arrow mechanism diagram viewing and exploration to not only show "what" a reaction will produce, but to also explain "how" the reaction will proceed.
Help & Support
Publications
Publications
Articles describing the structure, functions, and usage results of this tutorial system have been published:
  1. J.H. Chen, M.A. Kayala, and P. Baldi. Reaction Explorer:Towards a Knowledge Map of Organic Chemistry To Support Dynamic Assessment and Personalized Instruction in Enhancing Learning with Online Resources, Social Networking, and Digital Libraries, American Chemical Society. p. 191-209, (2010)
  2. J.H. Chen and P. Baldi. No Electron Left-Behind: A Rule-Based Expert System to Predict Chemical Reactions and Reaction Mechanisms. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 49, 9, 2034-2043, (2009).
  3. J.H. Chen and P. Baldi. Synthesis Explorer: A Chemical Reaction Tutorial System for Organic Synthesis Design and Mechanism Prediction. Journal of Chemical Education 2008(85):1699, (2008).