All about RXN Files

The RXN file type is primarily associated with ChemDraw.

RXN	File extension: RXN
	File type:	chemical reaction file

What is an RXN file?

RXN files mostly belong to ChemDraw. An RXN file is a chemical reaction file that stores structured data about reaction mechanisms. It is created by chemical drawing programs such as ChemDraw and can be used by MarvinSketch as well.
These files capture key reaction details including reactants, products, and bond information.
Key details as outlined by FilExt.com include:

Detailed molecular structure and bond data.

Representation of reaction pathways and mechanisms.

Exchangeable format for use in various chemistry software.

FilExt.com note: They are designed for users who work with chemical reaction models and need to preserve the structure of complex reactions.

How to open an RXN file

You need a suitable software like ChemDraw to open an RXN file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your RXN file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a RXN file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online RXN Text Viewer

Choose your .rxn file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to extract texts from RXN files or capture a screenshot to PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...

If you want to extract texts from RXN file or capture a screenshot, you can use our free Online RXN File Viewer:

Just click the "Choose your .rxn file to view" button on this page.
After your file is opened in browser,
click "Save as..." in the menu.
Then choose the file format (e.g. JPG, PDF, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
Your file will be converted and downloaded.

Programs that open and convert RXN files:

ChemDraw
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. RXN files are often referred to as ChemDraw data files because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
MDL Molfile (Reaction Format) by MDL Information Systems, Inc.
The Mime types used with this association are: chemical/x-mdl-rxnfile. The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 24 52 58 4E, ASCII: $RXN.

RXN file format details:

If you know the file format, you can also find out how to open or edit the file. Each file format has a unique extension and almost always a unique signature. For example, Microsoft Word documents have the extension .docx and the signature (usually the first 3 characters in this file) PK. Frequently, however, one file extension is used by different programs for different file formats, and one file format for different file extensions. If there are problems opening a file, you must first determine the file format used. Below you will find our evaluation of the RXN files:

RXN is seldom used as a file extension and predominantly uses a uniform format. But the following two file formats are common:

75% of all RXN files belong to MDL Reaction format. These files contain text and words, not binary data. The average file size is 3 KB with most files being between 1 KB and 21 KB in size. This file type is based on cutting-edge technology. The following keywords are characteristic: $RXN, $MOL and 0999 V2000. Files like these are about reactions, reaction, amide, ketcher, sapiens, glutl, bond, fthf and homo.

The remaining 25% of all RXN files are files with no common format. Just click the "Choose your .rxn file to view" button on this page to find out what your RXN file is.

Technical Data for RXN File Extension

File classification:

Data

Identifier:

Hex: 24 52 58 4E, ASCII: $RXN (provided by TrID database)

Related files:

mol, sdf, cdx, cdxml, cml, txt, zip, tgf, jdx, skc

Mime type:

chemical/x-mdl-rxnfile

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: rxnFile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe %1

an rxn chemical reaction file is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with RXN files

Associate the RXN file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open chemical reaction files. Because only the current version supports the latest RXN file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available ChemDraw update.
To make sure that your RXN file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .RXN file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.