List of common molecules

A practical list of everyday, atmospheric, laboratory, industrial, and biological molecules with reusable identifiers.

CSVJSON
NameFormulaCategorySMILESPubChem CID
WaterH2OEveryday moleculeO962
Carbon dioxideCO2Atmospheric moleculeO=C=O280
OxygenO2Atmospheric moleculeO=O977
Sodium chlorideNaClEveryday ionic compound[Na+].[Cl-]5234
EthanolC2H6OLaboratory and consumer moleculeCCO702
D-GlucoseC6H12O6Biological moleculeC([C@@H]1[C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](C(O1)O)O)O)O)O5793
AmmoniaNH3Industrial and laboratory moleculeN222
Hydrogen peroxideH2O2Consumer and laboratory moleculeOO784
Acetic acidC2H4O2Everyday organic acidCC(=O)O176
Calcium carbonateCaCO3Mineral and biological material[Ca+2].[O-]C([O-])=O10112
MethaneCH4Fuel and atmospheric moleculeC297
NitrogenN2Atmospheric moleculeN#N947
OzoneO3Atmospheric molecule[O-][O+]=O24823
Sodium bicarbonateNaHCO3Everyday ionic compoundC(=O)(O)[O-].[Na+]516892
SucroseC12H22O11Food and biological moleculeC([C@@H]1[C@H]([C@@H]([C@H]([C@H](O1)O[C@]2([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O2)CO)O)O)CO)O)O)O)O5988
UreaCH4N2OBiological and agricultural moleculeC(=O)(N)N1176
Carbon monoxideCOAtmospheric and combustion molecule[C-]#[O+]281
Sulfur dioxideSO2Industrial and atmospheric moleculeO=S=O1119
HydrogenH2Fuel and atmospheric molecule[HH]783
HeliumHeNoble gas[He]23987
ArgonArNoble gas[Ar]23968
ChlorineCl2Industrial moleculeClCl24526
PropaneC3H8Fuel moleculeCCC6334
ButaneC4H10Fuel moleculeCCCC7843
AcetoneC3H6OLaboratory and consumer solventCC(=O)C180
MethanolCH4OLaboratory and industrial solventCO887
BenzeneC6H6Industrial aromatic moleculeC1=CC=CC=C1241
TolueneC7H8Industrial aromatic solventCC1=CC=CC=C11140
PhenolC6H6OIndustrial aromatic moleculeC1=CC=C(C=C1)O996
FormaldehydeCH2OIndustrial and biological moleculeC=O712
Hydrogen chlorideHClLaboratory acid gasCl313
Sulfuric acidH2SO4Industrial acidOS(=O)(=O)O1118
Nitric acidHNO3Laboratory and industrial acid[N+](=O)(O)[O-]944
Phosphoric acidH3PO4Food and laboratory acidOP(=O)(O)O1004
Calcium hydroxideCa(OH)2Common base[OH-].[OH-].[Ca+2]6093208
Sodium hydroxideNaOHCommon base[OH-].[Na+]14798
Potassium chlorideKClSalt and electrolyte[Cl-].[K+]4873
Magnesium sulfateMgSO4Salt and laboratory compound[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[Mg+2]24083
Citric acidC6H8O7Food and biological acidC(C(=O)O)C(CC(=O)O)(C(=O)O)O311
CaffeineC8H10N4O2Food and drug moleculeCN1C=NC2=C1C(=O)N(C(=O)N2C)C2519
NeonNeCommon molecule[Ne]23935
Nitrous OxideN2OCommon molecule[N-]=[N+]=O948
IsopropanolC3H8OCommon moleculeCC(C)O3776
Lactic AcidC3H6O3Common moleculeCC(C(=O)O)O612
FructoseC6H12O6Common moleculeC1[C@H]([C@H]([C@@H](C(O1)(CO)O)O)O)O2723872
NicotineC10H14N2Common moleculeCN1CCC[C@H]1C2=CN=CC=C289594
GlycerolC3H8O3Common moleculeC(C(CO)O)O753
Ethylene GlycolC2H6O2Common moleculeC(CO)O174
AcetaldehydeC2H4OCommon moleculeCC=O177
Ethyl AcetateC4H8O2Common moleculeCCOC(=O)C8857
Diethyl EtherC4H10OCommon moleculeCCOCC3283
ChloroformCHCl3Common moleculeC(Cl)(Cl)Cl6212
DichloromethaneCH2Cl2Common moleculeC(Cl)Cl6344
AcetonitrileC2H3NCommon moleculeCC#N6342
Dimethyl SulfoxideC2H6OSCommon moleculeCS(=O)C679
GlycineC2H5NO2Common moleculeC(C(=O)O)N750
AlanineC3H7NO2Common moleculeC[C@@H](C(=O)O)N5950
LysineC6H14N2O2Common moleculeC(CCN)C[C@@H](C(=O)O)N5962
CholesterolC27H46OCommon moleculeC[C@H](CCCC(C)C)[C@H]1CC[C@@H]2[C@@]1(CC[C@H]3[C@H]2CC=C4[C@@]3(CC[C@@H](C4)O)C)C5997
Palmitic AcidC16H32O2Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O985
Oleic AcidC18H34O2Common moleculeCCCCCCCC/C=C\CCCCCCCC(=O)O445639
Stearic AcidC18H36O2Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O5281
Ascorbic AcidC6H8O6Common moleculeC([C@@H]([C@@H]1C(=C(C(=O)O1)O)O)O)O54670067
RiboflavinC17H20N4O6Common moleculeCC1=CC2=C(C=C1C)N(C3=NC(=O)NC(=O)C3=N2)C[C@@H]([C@@H]([C@@H](CO)O)O)O493570
DopamineC8H11NO2Common moleculeC1=CC(=C(C=C1CCN)O)O681
SerotoninC10H12N2OCommon moleculeC1=CC2=C(C=C1O)C(=CN2)CCN5202
MelatoninC13H16N2O2Common moleculeCC(=O)NCCC1=CNC2=C1C=C(C=C2)OC896
AspirinC9H8O4Common moleculeCC(=O)OC1=CC=CC=C1C(=O)O2244
AcetaminophenC8H9NO2Common moleculeCC(=O)NC1=CC=C(C=C1)O1983
IbuprofenC13H18O2Common moleculeCC(C)CC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C)C(=O)O3672
NaproxenC14H14O3Common moleculeC[C@@H](C1=CC2=C(C=C1)C=C(C=C2)OC)C(=O)O156391
EthaneC2H6Common moleculeCC6324
PentaneC5H12Common moleculeCCCCC8003
HexaneC6H14Common moleculeCCCCCC8058
HeptaneC7H16Common moleculeCCCCCCC8900
OctaneC8H18Common moleculeCCCCCCCC356
NonaneC9H20Common moleculeCCCCCCCCC8141
DecaneC10H22Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCC15600
UndecaneC11H24Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCC14257
DodecaneC12H26Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCC8182
TridecaneC13H28Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCC12388
TetradecaneC14H30Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCC12389
PentadecaneC15H32Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC12391
HexadecaneC16H34Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC11006
HeptadecaneC17H36Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC12398
OctadecaneC18H38Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC11635
NonadecaneC19H40Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC12401
EicosaneC20H42Common moleculeCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC8222
EtheneC2H4Common moleculeC=C6325
PropeneC3H6Common moleculeCC=C8252
1-ButeneC4H8Common moleculeCCC=C7844
1-PenteneC5H10Common moleculeCCCC=C8004
1-HexeneC6H12Common moleculeCCCCC=C11597
1-HepteneC7H14Common moleculeCCCCCC=C11610
1-OcteneC8H16Common moleculeCCCCCCC=C8125
1-NoneneC9H18Common moleculeCCCCCCCC=C31285
1-DeceneC10H20Common moleculeCCCCCCCCC=C13381
CyclohexeneC6H10Common moleculeC1CCC=CC18079
IsobutyleneC4H8Common moleculeCC(=C)C8255
AcetyleneC2H2Common moleculeC#C6326
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Methodology

Commonness is defined by educational and practical use rather than database frequency. Rows are grouped by everyday, atmospheric, biological, laboratory, and industrial contexts.

Expansion plan

Add popularity signals from query logs, textbook coverage, regulatory lists, and curated educational sources while keeping source provenance visible per row.

Sources

PubChem

Canonical compound identifiers, names, formulas, structures, SMILES, and downloadable compound records.

ChEBI

Chemical ontology classes, biological roles, synonyms, formulas, SMILES, InChI, and ChEBI identifiers.

NIST Chemistry WebBook

Reference physical chemistry data and diatomic constants for selected species.

OpenStax Chemistry

Chemistry definitions used for educational polarity, bonding, organic chemistry, and molecule-class explanations.

Related datasets

Diatomic and monatomic elementsOrganic compoundsAlkane isomersPolar and nonpolar molecules