ACS Journal Finder

ACS Applied Energy Materials is an interdisciplinary journal publishing original research covering aspects of materials, engineering, chemistry, physics, and biology relevant to sustainable applications in energy conversion and storage. 

Sample research topics that span the journal's scope for energy storage applications:

• Electrode and membrane materials for various energy applications
• Solid state batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, and redox flow batteries
• Energy conversion applications include new inorganic, hybrid, catalytic, and/or organic materials
• Thermoelectrics
• Photovoltaics
• Photo-electrosynthesis cells

Submissions that are NOT suitable for ACS Applied Energy Materials:

• Reports that are essentially reporting data or applications of data
• Low power energy conversion materials, such as piezoelectric materials
• Luminescent materials & devices
• Studies of traditional fossil fuel
• Energetic/explosive materials for military applications
• Photodegradation of environmental pollutants

All submissions are subject to critical, anonymous peer review. It is to be understood that the final decision relating to a manuscript's suitability rests solely with the Editor.

ACS ES&T Engineering publishes high-impact research and review/perspective/viewpoint articles. It is a specialist journal that aims to serve as an international forum for research and innovation, welcoming contributions on materials, technologies, processes, data analytics and engineering systems that can manage, protect, and remediate air, water, and soil quality, treat wastes, and recover resources. Research contributions that support effective decision-making within complex engineered systems and are informed by mechanistic science and analytics that describe complex environmental engineering systems are encouraged. Papers that present novel, innovative advancements will be considered across the continuum from lab-based discovery to field-based application. Case/demonstration studies without significant scientific advances and technological innovations will not be considered. Papers containing experimental and/or theoretical methods and knowledge grounded in engineering principles that are integrated with core knowledge from other disciplines are welcome. Specific topics may include (but are not limited to) the following environmental engineering areas:

• Novel materials, technologies, processes, data analytical methods, and systems that:
• evaluate, protect and remediate air, water, and soil quality
• solve or address multiple emerging environmental issues at various nexuses
• (e.g., energy, material, sustainability, public health)
• Novel separation, desalination, and resource recovery technologies
• Environmental nanotechnology and biotechnology
• Environmental catalysis for pollution abatement and cleaner sustainable processes
• Redox processes for engineering applications
• Waste management, treatment, valorization, and waste-to-energy
• Environmental technologies developed for monitoring, sensing, and assessing environmental exposure & hazards
• Macroscopic and microscopic mechanisms that inform environmental engineering systems
• Novel analytical and simulation methods (e.g., data-driven science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data scraping) for environmental engineering application 

The Journal does NOT cover the following areas if they are presented as solitary topics and without making their connection to engineered systems or technological innovation clear:

• Environmental policy and regulation as a solitary focus (i.e., papers about the impact of engineered systems on the environment and health, and policy/regulation implications are considered within scope as long as outcomes link to advancements around the engineered system as a central theme of the paper)
• Characterization and monitoring of the environment as a solitary focus
• Fate and transport of contaminants and biogeochemical cycling
• Ecotoxicology and environmental health
• Atmospheric chemistry and processes, climate change
• Environmental chemistry as a primary focus (e.g., fundamental reaction mechanisms). However, environmental chemistry works that are necessary to demonstrate or understand engineering technologies or engineered systems may be suitable.

ACS Energy Letters is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that publishes new scientific advances in all aspects of energy research that are of interest to scientists working in the fundamental, and applied sciences. A central criterion to acceptance is that the paper reports sufficiently new results such that rapid publication is essential. 

The journal maintains one of the most rapid publication times in the field (average 4-6 weeks from submission to web publication in ASAP -As Soon As Publishable- format). ACS Energy Letters is currently ranked within the top 10 journals for the Web of Science Electrochemistry, Physical Chemistry, Energy & Fuels, and Nanoscience & Nanotechnology categories. 

Journal editors and staff routinely attend major scientific conferences, and are eager to discuss with readers and authors, and the journal maintains an active presence on social media. 

The following topics are examples within the scope of ACS Energy Letters:

• Storage Batteries and Supercapacitors
• Solar Cells (for example, Perovskite, Quantum Dots, Organic Photovoltaics and Tandem)
• Solar Fuels (Hydrogen, CO₂ and N₂ reduction) and Biofuels
• Energy Materials (Quantum Dots and Light Harvesting Assemblies)
• LED and Display Devices
• Fuel Cells and Redox Flow Batteries
• Photo- and Electro- Chemical/Catalytic Processes
• Desalination and Electrolyzers

Reviewers of ACS Energy Letters manuscripts will be asked the following questions:

• Is the manuscript likely to interest a substantial number of energy researchers, not just specialists working in the authors' specialized area of research?
• Are the conclusions adequately supported with appropriate data, control experiments, and statistics?

How does the manuscript rank in terms of urgency, significance, novelty, and scholarly presentation?

ACS Engineering Au is an open access journal reporting significant advances in chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and energy, covering fundamentals, processes, and products. The journal's broad scope includes experimental, theoretical, mathematical, computational, chemical, and physical research from academic and industrial settings. Topics include:

• Fundamental research in thermodynamics, transport phenomena (flow, mixing, mass & heat transfer), chemical reaction kinetics and engineering, catalysis, separations, interfacial phenomena, and materials
• Process design, development, and intensification (e.g., process technologies for chemicals and materials, synthesis and design methods, process intensification, multiphase reactors, microwave, cavitation, scale-up, systems analysis, process control, data correlation schemes, modeling, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence)
• Product research and development involving chemical and engineering aspects (e.g., catalysts, plastics, elastomers, fibers, adhesives, coatings, paper, membranes, lubricants, ceramics, aerosols, fluidic devices, intensified process equipment)
• Energy and fuels (e.g., pre-treatment, processing, and utilization of renewable energy resources; processing and utilization of fuels; properties and structure or molecular composition of both raw fuels and refined products; fuel cells, hydrogen, batteries; photochemical fuel and energy production; decarbonization; electrification)
• Measurement techniques, computational models, and data on thermo-physical, thermodynamic, and transport properties of materials and phase equilibrium behavior
• New methods, models, and tools (e.g., real-time data analytics, multi-scale models, physics informed machine learning models, machine learning enhanced physics-based models, soft sensors, high-performance computing)

ACS Environmental Au is an open access journal publishing experimental research and theoretical results in all aspects of environmental science and technology, both fundamental and applied. Topics include:

• Alternative energy
• Anthropogenic impacts on atmosphere, soil, or water
• Biogeochemical cycling
• Biomass or wastes as resources
• Contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial environments
• Environmental applications and implications of synthetic biology
• Environmental data science
• Environmental justice and equality
• Ecotoxicology and public health
• Energy and climate
• Environmental modeling, processes, and measurement methods and technologies
• Environmental nanotechnology and biotechnology
• Green chemistry
• Green manufacturing and engineering
• Risk assessment, regulatory frameworks, and life-cycle assessments
• Systems engineering and quantitative sustainability
• Treatment and resource recovery and waste management

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering welcomes contributions that address challenges of sustainability in the chemical enterprise and advance principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. Examples of topics in the journal's scope include:

• Green Chemistry
• Green Manufacturing and Engineering
• Biomass or Wastes as Resources
• Alternative Energy
• Life-Cycle Assessment

Potential authors are encouraged to read Editorial articles like these for additional guidance on scope:

• Why Wasn't My ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Manuscript Sent Out for Review?
• The Evolution of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
• Expectations for Manuscripts in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Scope Summary and Call for Creativity
• Expectations for Papers on Photochemistry, Photoelectrochemistry, and Electrochemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage
• Expectations for Papers on Sustainable Materials
• Expectations for Manuscripts on Catalysis
• Expectations for Manuscripts with Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Elements
• Advancing the Use of Sustainability Metrics
• Expectations for Manuscripts on Industrial Ecology
• Expectations for Manuscripts on Biomass Feedstocks and Processing in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
• Expectations for Manuscripts Contributing to the Field of Solvents

ACS Sustainable Resource Management is an interdisciplinary journal publishing original research describing the science and practice in the sustainable use of natural and waste resources. The journal seeks to report advances, promote discussion among various stakeholders including academic scientists, industrial practitioners and government agencies and regulators, that together help in the implementation of strategies to achieve the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. 

Submissions covering fundamental and applied research in science and engineering of the circularity of effluent streams (gaseous, liquid, or solid forms) through the conversion to useful compounds or feedstocks are welcome. Discussions integrating systems thinking, planetary boundaries and metrics-based approaches are encouraged to ensure that the envisioned circular approaches are indeed sustainable in terms of reducing environmental footprint and toxicity. Examples of resources and applications/processes/methods that fit the scope include:

Resources

• Activated sludges
• Agriculture, aquatic & marine ecologies, forest residues (biomass, pesticides, fertilizers, nutrients, etc.)
• Biochars
• Biofuels and fossil fuels
• Biological molecules
• Contaminated soils
• Electronic and urban wastes
• EMI shielding (including microwave absorbers)
• Foods, dyes and textile effluents
• Heavy, trace, catalytic and energy metals
• Industrial effluents (solvents, chemicals pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, etc.)
• Microplastics
• Nanomaterials
• Plastics, membranes, resins, etc.
• Radioactive wastes
• Solid wastes including end-of-use solar panels
• Toxic compounds
• Waste energy
• Water (groundwater, wastewater and oily wastewater, drinking water)
• Green Chemistry
• Green Manufacturing and Engineering
• Biomass or Wastes as Resources
• Alternative Energy
• Life-Cycle Assessment

Applications/ Methods/Processes

• Adsorption technologies
• Advanced oxidation processes
• Aerobic and anaerobic digestions
• Artificial intelligence/big data in resource management
• Biogas production
• Biomass-based catalysis, organocatalysis electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, photocatalysis, single atom catalysis
• Bioprocesses (biodegradation, biofiltration, bioremediation biosorption, biotreatment)
• Chemical processing of wastes
• Circular and net-zero economy
• CO₂ capture and utilization
• Eco-design for the environment and ecosystem restoration
• Electrochemical methods and processes
• Emulsion separation and oil spill remediation
• Gasification and pyrolysis
• Governance, legislation, and policy for sustainable resource management
• Green processes for waste management
• Industrial symbiosis
• Membrane technology and separation processes
• Mining of waste resources
• Phytoremediation
• Redox processes and hydrolysis
• Sensors and analytical methods for resource recovery
• Sustainability metrics in resource management
• Sustainable metallurgy
• Thermal energy storage/conversion technologies
• Upcycling and recycling processes

With a focus on the science, engineering and management of resources using sustainable approaches, ACS Sustainable Resource Management complements ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, and strengthens the overall portfolio of some ACS publications such as ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (ACS AMI) and other ACS AMI family of journals, ACS Catalysis, ACS ES&T Engineering, ACS ES&T Water, ACS Food Science & Technology, Energy & Fuels, Langmuir, Macromolecules, Biomacromolecules, Environmental Science & Technology, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The conversion of solar energy into fuels and valuable chemical products through artificial photosynthesis is an important scientific approach to addressing global energy transition, climate change mitigation and sustainability goals.

Artificial Photosynthesis is an open access journal dedicated to publishing compelling advances in understanding, mimicking, and utilizing the process of converting sunlight into chemical energy. The journal provides a unique, international platform to bring together leading researchers from different disciplines (chemistry, physics, materials, biology, and engineering) and facilitate collaboration with industry to publish the most impactful and insightful developments within the field. 

Specific topics of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• New theories, methods, and strategies for photoelectrochemical energy conversion and storage, and their charge and energy transfer dynamics and mechanisms
• Photocatalytic, photoelectrocatalytic, and electrocatalytic water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, nitrogen reduction for ammonia synthesis, and synthesis of high value-added chemicals
• Catalytic activation and transformation of small molecules (e.g., CO₂, H₂O, and N₂, etc.)
• Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis for artificial photosynthesis
• Synthetic fuels, biology, food (e.g., starch, proteins, carbohydrates, etc.), and drugs through artificial photosynthesis
• Function mimicking of natural photosynthesis and its applications in artificial photosynthesis
• Advanced characterization techniques (e.g., spectroscopy) used in artificial photosynthesis research
• Artificial photosynthesis for environmental remediation
• Key engineering technologies for large-scale artificial photosynthesis 

APCs for manuscripts accepted in the first three years are covered by the journal.

Energy & Fuels, founded in 1987, aspires to publish the most exciting fundamental and applied research in the fields of energy and fuels. The journal focuses on the science and application domains of energy and fuels, particularly those in the disciplines of chemical engineering and applied chemistry. It intends to serve the vital and growing community of scientists, engineers, and policy experts involved in energy-related fields by publishing fully vetted, reliable, and high-quality research results.

The scope of Energy & Fuels covers:

• Fossil energy resources in the context of sustainable development
• Bioenergy, biofuels and biorefinery
• Batteries and energy storage
• Fuel cells
• Solar energy, solar fuels, and conversion of light
• Water splitting and electrolysis
• Non-carbon-based fuels (e.g., hydrogen, ammonia, etc.)
• Carbon capture, utilization, and storage

The submissions on catalysis (including bio-, photo- and electro-catalysis) must focus on new insights for energy conversion and not solely on catalyst characterization. Manuscripts on analytical and instrumental techniques used in investigations of the foregoing areas are also welcome. The analysis of the physical and chemical properties of raw fuels and refined products by novel methods is within the scope. Submitted manuscripts are expected to contain new fundamental knowledge and/or present advances in technologies. Manuscripts on process development, integration and modelling are welcome if they include sound physical-chemical fundamentals. Submissions dealing with nuclear, wind and hydraulic power, power grids, or solely with process economics will not be considered.

Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) is an impactful, environmental science and technology research journal that aims to be transformational and direction-setting, publishing rigorous and robust manuscripts for a multidisciplinary and diverse audience of scientists, policymakers, and the broad environmental community. The journal advances rigorous scholarship on complex environmental phenomena, particularly with respect to fate, transport, and transformation in natural and engineered systems, while simultaneously facilitating the solution of critical environmental problems. In addition to novelty and significance of research, ES&T considers the relevance of submitted manuscripts to its broad readership.

Current ES&T topical categories for research articles are as follows:

• Biogeochemical Cycling
• Bioremediation and Biotechnology
• Data Science
• Ecotoxicology and Public Health
• Energy and Climate
• Occurrence, Fate, and Transport of Aquatic and Terrestrial Contaminants
• Occurrence, Fate, and Behavior of Contaminants in Indoor Air and Atmosphere
• Physico-Chemical Treatment and Resource Recovery
• Sustainable Systems

ES&T Letters is a rapid publication forum for international brief communications (Letters, Brief Reviews, Highlights, Global Perspectives) on rigorous experimental or theoretical results of exceptional timeliness on all aspects of environmental science and technology (pure and applied). The journal’s aim is to quickly publish short, timely research of an urgent or emerging nature on complex environmental phenomena while simultaneously facilitating the solution of critical environmental problems.

ES&T Letters’ scope is broad and includes characterization of natural and affected environments, environmental processes, fate, transport and transformation of compounds in natural and engineered systems, environmental measurement methods, environmental aspects of nanotechnology, novel remediation and control technology, biogeochemical cycling, ecotoxicology and human environmental health, sustainability and energy, and remediation, control and pollution prevention. Manuscripts describing cross-disciplinary research or addressing emerging issues are of particular interest. The journal appeals to a multidisciplinary and diverse audience of scientists, policy makers and the broad environmental community. The broad environmental science and technology topic areas published by the journal are shown by (but not limited to) the main journal section headings:

• Biogeochemical Cycling
• Bioremediation and Biotechnology
• Data Science
• Ecotoxicology and Public Health
• Energy and Climate
• Occurrence, Fate, and Transport of Aquatic and Terrestrial Contaminants 
• Occurrence, Fate, and Behavior of Contaminants in Indoor Air and Atmosphere
• Physico-Chemical Treatment and Resource Recovery
• Sustainable Systems

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters is devoted to reporting new and original experimental and theoretical basic research of interest to physical chemists, biophysical chemists, chemical physicists, physicists, material scientists, and engineers. An important criterion for acceptance is that the paper reports a significant scientific advance and/or physical insight such that rapid publication is essential.

JPC Letters has emerged as one of the premier journals in the discipline by disseminating significant scientific advances in physical chemistry, chemical physics, and materials science. The authors use streamlined editorial processes to publish their important new scientific advances at a fast pace and thus are able to publish their research results first. The journal has consistently maintained a rapid publication time and thus offers authors the opportunity to stay ahead of the competition. 

Areas covered by the journal include:

• Physical Insights into Quantum Phenomena and Function
• Physical Insights into Materials and Molecular Properties
• Physical Insights into Light Interacting with Matter
• Physical Insights into the Biosphere, Atmosphere, and Space
• Physical Insights into Chemistry, Catalysis, and Interfaces
• Physical Insights into Energy Science

This journal offers Transparent Peer Review. Read more about the Transparent Peer Review pilot.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C: Energy, Materials, and Catalysis. 

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (JPC C) publishes experimental, theoretical, and computational research on the physical chemistry of nano, low-dimensional and bulk materials; chemical transformations at interfaces; and energy conversion and storage. Examples of topics of special interest include:

• heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis
• solar energy conversion
• fuel cells
• studies of novel materials for batteries and capacitors
• spectroscopy of nano- and 2D materials
• plasmonic and photonic materials
• thermoelectric and responsive materials
• novel material and surface properties
• chemical transformations at solid surfaces
• novel predictive and validated material property models

Sections:

• C1 Energy Conversion and Storage
• C2 Chemical and Catalytic Reactivity at Interfaces
• C3 Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Nano, Hybrid, and Low-Dimensional Materials
• C4 Physical Properties of Materials and Interfaces

If you are unsure whether your manuscript fits within the scope of JPC C, please contact the Editor-in-Chief (eic@jpc.acs.org). This Collection provides tips for creating high impact experimental and theory/computational manuscripts. This Editorial gives guidelines for computational and theory research.