There are volumes of books published on how to write scientific papers. Most first time writers experience some apprehension and feel that they are almost writing in a foreign language. This is quite normal. Whereas the language is not quite “foreign”, the format and the style one feels obliged to follow, makes the writer somewhat uncomfortable. It is important to recognize that the main objective in a scientific paper is to be able to communicate one’s findings in an unambiguous fashion. In order to accomplish this, the content needs to be brief and written in a style, which is familiar to the specific group of readers. This is why there are some subtle differences in the styles of a psychology paper and a chemistry paper. However, the similarities such as brevity and clarity are just as significant.
Over the years the subtle differences in the writing styles used in different disciplines have been analyzed, which resulted in a number of guidelines being developed for the first time writer. In the field of chemistry the relevant branches of the professional organization, the American
Chemical Society (ACS) undertakes this task and makes available a number of sources for authors, novice and experienced alike.
There are small differences of style for papers in different branches of chemistry. We will attempt to follow a style recommended for synthetic organic chemistry. Before going into the specifics, we should agree on some general points:
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Paper should be written in “passive voice”, not in first person singular.
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A narrative style should be followed, as opposed to flow charts or lists (although these might be appropriate in certain cases).
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One should always try to be consistent, in spelling, in significant figures, in units, etc.
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A specific style does not mean that grammatical and most acceptable use of the language can be compromised.
Finally, one must be aware of the fact that the author of a paper needs to have a certain degree of autonomy in any kind of writing. Regulating everything strictly may restrict creativity. While the author’s autonomy may be challenged by editors (or instructors) at times, the ultimate goal of any scientific activity, including writing, is to push the limits.
In preparing the following guideline for the specific paper, I feel that we can put some of these suggestions into practice and that way accomplish more than just merely going through a “what to do and what not to do” list.

Title
Reaction
Introduction
Alcohols are converted into corresponding alkyl halides under acid catalyzed conditions ( a few general statements familiarizing the reader with certain features of the type of reactions utilized and developing into the specifics of the reactions carried out )
You may wish to discuss the mechanism of the reactions in this section.
Results and Discussion
In the present experiment 1-hexanol was successfully converted into 1-methoxyhexane in xx% yield in a two-step synthesis ( describe the reaction conditions here without going into detail ).
Conversion of the alcohol into the alkyl halide facilitated the subsequent reaction, and
1-methoxyhexane was obtained under S
N
2 conditions. In the first step an aqueous mixture of
1-hexanol and potassium bromide was refluxed in sulfuric acid. 1-Bromohexane formed was steam-distilled and extracted ( etc. etc.
) …..
Write here anything specific related to the reaction which might have happened, to which you wish to draw the reader’s attention (don’t write anything personal or trivial –such as, some of the liquid was spilt etc.) but more like: The reflux time is critical for the completion of the reaction… mention here how the fact that the products(s) are steam-volatile makes it easier to isolate/purify the products (by steam-distillation). Do not use formulas or abbreviations in this section.
In the second step of the synthesis a classical reaction referred to as “Williamson Ether
Synthesis” was utilized with some modifications.
Experimental
1-Hexanol (12.0 mL, 9.84 g, 0.096 moles) was mixed with water (xx mL) and potassium bromide
(12.6 g, 0.x moles) in a round bottomed flask. To the chilled mixture sulfuric acid (concentrated, xx mL) was gradually added. continue with all the details here in narrative from (not flow charts or lists)
Conclusion
In the two-step synthesis of 1-hexanol into 1-methoxyhexane the acid catalyzed conversion of an alcohol into an alkyl halide was used as the first step followed by a modified Williamson ether synthesis. Both reactions are broadly used synthetic methods. The products were isolated/purified by steam distillation and characterized on the basis of their separation from water during subsequent liquid-liquid extraction. ( give more detail here –also briefly describe the extraction process in your “results and discussion” section, i.e. how you characterized 1-bromohexane because it was in the lower layer)
The “Conclusion” paragraph is given as a sample; feel free to change or add to it; you may also use it “as it is”, although your originality would be much appreciated .
( Make sure to use subscripts and superscripts when you need to )