Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of CMF-CW is to automate the task of checking text inputs—such as chemical names, registry numbers, SMILES strings, InChI codes and other identifiers—against chemical weapons control lists. By automating this process, CMF-CW makes the checks faster and more reliable. CMF-CW also makes the process easy to document through its Download Report feature.

This process is complex and time-consuming for reasons due to the vastness of the chemical space and the complexity of chemical nomenclature. Entries of chemical weapons control lists that define families of chemicals, the multitude of synonyms through which the same chemical can be identified, and the need to check for variants and mixtures are the main factors that make manual checking cumbersome and time-consuming.

CMF-CW automates a process that can otherwise be performed manually in a variety of ways, including by looking up information through search engines. Through automation, cheminformatics tools such as CMF-CW make the process faster, more reliable, and easier to document. Moreover, when using information retrieved from search engines, it is often not straightforward to find matches with entries in chemical weapons control lists that define families of chemicals. Unlike a simple synonym search, CMF-CW converts text inputs into chemical structures and checks those structures against the chemical weapons control lists, thus performing a much more thorough search.

Users can use LLMs in conjunction with CMF-CW in a variety of ways. For example, LLMs can be utilized to translate chemical names from different languages into English. Even though CMF-CW can often work with chemical names in different languages thanks to the external lookup services that it uses to retrieve the information needed to convert chemical names to structures, LLMs enable users to translate a much wider variety of names into English. Users can then input these translated names into CMF-CW. LLMs can also help users extract chemical names from documents. Users can then input these extracted names into CMF-CW. Users can also attempt to check their text inputs against chemical weapons control lists directly using LLMs. However, unlike LLMs, CMF-CW provides a deterministic approach to the process that adds reliability to the outcome.

CMF-CW can support a variety of activities that require checking chemicals against chemical weapons control lists. Possible uses include export-control and licensing reviews, customs and border screening, chemical inventory assessments, internal compliance checks, procurement or shipment reviews, and research and educational activities. For any formal, time-sensitive, or consequential determination, users should consult the authoritative control lists and applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

CMF-CW can be used in courses and training programs dealing with chemical weapons, nonproliferation, export controls, chemical security, dual-use science, or science and technology policy. Instructors can use it to demonstrate how chemicals are checked against control lists, why chemical nomenclature and family-based entries make manual screening difficult, and how structure-based analysis can improve the process. Students can use CMF-CW in exercises involving specific chemicals, chemical families, mixtures, or text-based identifiers and can compare automated results with manual searches of the authoritative control lists. Such activities can help illustrate both the value and the limitations of automated screening tools.

Political scientists and international relations scholars may encounter research questions that depend on whether particular chemicals are covered by chemical weapons control lists, but answering those questions can require specialized knowledge of chemical nomenclature and chemical structures. CMF-CW can help bridge this technical gap by automating the screening process. For example, scholars can use CMF-CW to check chemicals mentioned in policy documents, historical records, trade data, case studies, or other sources. In this way, CMF-CW can support research on chemical weapons disarmament, nonproliferation, export-control, and verification frameworks.

For the launch version, we focused on selected chemical-weapons-related control lists: the CWC Schedules, the Australia Group Chemical Weapons Precursors list, and the Wassenaar Arrangement Munitions List 7. Other lists may be considered in the future, but for now we want to keep the tool focused on international frameworks that support chemical weapons disarmament and nonproliferation.

We aim to maintain the tool carefully and to document the versions of the tool and database being used. CMF-CW is built from curated versions of the authoritative public lists. Users can see the current versions of the lists being used on the page titled “The Database”. That said, users should always consult the authoritative source for any formal, time-sensitive, or consequential determination. If you identify a newer list version or a possible discrepancy, please let us know.

Not at the moment.

Yes, the tool handles batch searches. Users can upload multiple search terms as a text file, one search term per line. Alternatively, users can upload a file containing chemical structures in SDF format. There is no limit to the number of search terms that can be submitted via text file. Currently, the number of structures that can be submitted as an SDF file is limited to 100.

The text file needs to contain one search term per line. The search terms are separated by line breaks (return), not commas or tabs.

While there isn’t a mobile application, the CMF-CW web interface is optimized to work well both on desktop computers and mobile devices. The layout changes on small screens so that the interface and the output remain comfortable to use and read.

No, CMF-CW cannot be used offline. It is accessible as a web service at https://cmf-cw.research.american.edu/. Moreover, the external lookup services that CMF-CW utilizes to convert text inputs to chemical structures require a connection to the internet.

The presence of typos in chemical names and, even more so, in other text-based identifiers, such as registry numbers, SMILES strings, or InChI codes, can alter the identity of the chemical being searched. If the typo leads to an invalid text identifier that cannot be converted into a structure, the CMF-CW report will have an orange border around the search term and will issue the following warning: “Note: No matches found, but the search term could not be converted to a structure – further checking is warranted.” For example, this can occur if the user enters the search term “methylphosphise” rather than “methylphosphine.” Conversely, if the typo leads to a valid text identifier that can be converted into a structure, CMF-CW will yield the report for the chemical corresponding to the input with the typo. For example, this can occur if the user enters the search term “methylphosphite” rather than “methylphosphine.” While “methylphosphine” is a CWC Schedule 2 chemical, “methylphosphite” is not.

Some of the external lookup services that CMF-CW utilizes to retrieve the information that it needs to convert names to chemical structures list synonyms in a variety of languages and alphabets. If a name is listed in one of these lookup services, CMF-CW will generally be able to convert it into a chemical structure and perform a structure-based search. That being said, CMF-CW works best with English names. This is not only because the lookup services that CMF-CW utilizes list more synonyms in English than in other languages, but also because systematic chemical names in English can generally be converted to structures algorithmically by some of the external services utilized by CMF-CW.

CMF-CW encodes the entries that define families of chemicals as Markush structures—that is, structures featuring a central scaffold common to all the members of the family and a number of allowed chemical substituents attached at specific positions on the central scaffold. In this way, CMF-CW does not need to list the individual members of the family. When a user enters a text input, CMF-CW converts it into a chemical structure and checks it against all entries in the chemical weapons control lists, including the family entries. If new chemicals are made that fit the definition of a family entry, these will be automatically captured by CMF-CW, without any need to update the software.

Yes, CMF-CW handles the chemical families in chemical weapons control lists well. When a user inputs a text input, CMF-CW converts it into a chemical structure and checks it against the Markush structures that correspond to the chemical family definition. Structures with symmetric as well as asymmetric substituents are correctly matched to the Markush structures. All the chemical families included in the chemical weapons control lists featured in CMF-CW have been implemented and thoroughly tested. That being said, if you identify any anomaly or unexpected behavior, please let us know.

The success of the process depends largely on whether CMF-CW can convert the chemical name into a chemical structure using information retrieved from one of its external lookup services. If the name can be converted into a structure, CMF-CW can perform a structure-based search against the chemical weapons control lists, including entries that define families of chemicals. If the name cannot be converted into a structure, the search is confined to the available metadata—that is, the chemical names as they appear in the control lists. In such cases, if no matches are found, further checking may be warranted.

No. CMF-CW determines whether a chemical is covered by one or more entries in the chemical weapons control lists included in the tool, either as an individually listed chemical or as a member of a defined chemical family. It does not identify chemicals merely because they are structurally similar to a controlled chemical.

No. A match indicates that the chemical is covered by one or more of the chemical weapons control lists included in CMF-CW. Whether a particular activity is subject to licensing, reporting, prohibition, or other requirements depends on the applicable legal or regulatory framework and the circumstances of the activity and the jurisdiction in question.

No. CMF-CW is designed to determine whether chemicals are covered by the chemical weapons control lists included in the tool. It does not assess toxicity, hazardous properties, or the potential for chemicals to be used as chemical warfare agents. However, when a corresponding PubChem record is available, CMF-CW provides a link to it, where users can often find related information about the searched substance.

If CMF-CW successfully converts the input into the intended chemical structure and finds no match, this means that the structure was not identified as being covered by any of the chemical weapons control lists included in the tool. Users can verify the structure used for the search by reviewing the structure displayed in the report. If CMF-CW cannot convert the input into a structure, no structure is displayed, the result is outlined in orange, and the report includes a warning that further checking is warranted.