Ability to add "synthesis information" to starting materials

[jdbocarsly]

Currently, the Starting Material edit page doesn't have a synthesis information section. This is ussually fine, since the starting materials are purchased from a supplier and don't have any constituents that they need to be linked to. However, we sometimes may make a starting material in the lab, and want to link it to its constituents. In this case, it would be nice to have an optional synthesis information that can be added to starting materials pages if needed.

[MJCliffe]

Is there any reason not to make the starting material a sample itself?

[ml-evs]

They behave similarly but have different default permissions; e.g., you can use a sample wherever you would normally use a starting material (in recipes etc.), but you would lose some of the structure info about barcodes/hazards etc. A starting material also has the option to refer to the abstract concept of a material (e.g., water) rather than a particular instance (a glass of water) [showing my chemistry knowledge here].

[MJCliffe]

Ok - fair enough. I guess if you're making it, most of the time it won't have a SDS and you won't be having it as a generic, but if there are advantages the extra flexibility seems reasonable.