Angewandte Chemie International Edition Submission Guide: Requirements, Formatting and What Editors Want

Decision cue: If you need a yes/no submission call today, compare your draft with 3 recent accepted Communications from Angewandte Chemie and only submit when scope, novelty, and presentation quality line up.

Related: How to choose a journal • How to avoid desk rejection • Pre-submission checklist

Angewandte Chemie International Edition is one of the top chemistry journals in the world, with an impact factor of 16.9 (JCR 2024). The journal is known for its Communications format: short, high-impact papers that report significant new results. If you're preparing a submission, here's what you need to get right.

Manuscript types and limits

Communications are the flagship format. They're limited to 4 pages in the journal's two-column layout, including figures, schemes, tables, and references. The text itself is typically 2,000-2,500 words. Supporting Information (SI) can be any length and is published online as a separate document.

This is where most first-time submitters make mistakes. Four pages is tight. If your paper runs to 5 or 6 pages, you have two options: cut it down to fit the Communication format, or submit it as a full Research Article instead. Do not submit a 6-page manuscript as a Communication hoping the editors won't notice. They will.

Research Articles are longer papers (typically 6-10 pages) for studies that need more space. The editorial bar is the same as for Communications: novelty and significance are required. Articles go through the same review process.

Reviews and Minireviews are almost always invited. If you want to write one, contact the editorial office with a proposal. Don't submit an unsolicited review manuscript.

Cover letter expectations

Angewandte Chemie editors read cover letters. This isn't a formality. Your cover letter should do three things:

First, explain what's new. Not "we report a new catalyst" but "we report the first example of X doing Y, which resolves the long-standing problem of Z." Be specific about the novelty claim.

Second, explain why it matters broadly. Angewandte Chemie publishes across all of chemistry. If your paper is about organic synthesis, your cover letter should explain why an inorganic chemist would care. Editors use this to decide whether the paper fits the journal's broad readership.

Third, suggest reviewers. Provide 3-4 qualified researchers who work in your area but aren't collaborators. Include their institutional affiliations and email addresses. Good reviewer suggestions speed up the process.

Don't waste space summarizing the abstract. The editor will read the paper. Use the cover letter to make the case for why this particular paper belongs in this particular journal.

Formatting mistakes that delay your submission

Wrong template. Angewandte Chemie has specific Word and LaTeX templates available on the Wiley author guidelines page. Using a generic format or an ACS template will get your submission returned before it reaches an editor.

Exceeding the page limit. If your Communication runs past 4 pages, it gets returned immediately. Check your page count after all figures and references are in place, not before.

Low-resolution figures. Figures need to be at least 300 dpi for print quality. Figures copied from PowerPoint presentations are almost always too low resolution. Use vector graphics (EPS, PDF) when possible.

Missing compound characterization. For synthetic chemistry papers, every new compound needs full characterization: NMR, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis or HRMS, and melting points where applicable. Missing characterization data is a common revision trigger.

Poorly formatted references. Angewandte Chemie uses its own reference style. Don't use ACS, RSC, or other formats. The journal's template and EndNote/Zotero styles handle this automatically.

Reporting, ethics, and data requirements

Chemical safety. Angewandte Chemie requires authors to include safety information for hazardous chemicals, reactions, and procedures. This includes GHS hazard pictograms in the Supporting Information.

Data availability. Crystallographic data should be deposited with the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC). Spectral data should be included in the Supporting Information.

Conflict of interest. All authors must declare any conflicts of interest. This includes financial relationships with companies whose products are mentioned in the paper.

Author contributions. Angewandte Chemie requires a statement describing each author's contribution using CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) categories.

Ethics. Any research involving human subjects or animals needs appropriate institutional approval documentation.

What editors actually want

Having spoken with researchers who've published extensively in Angewandte Chemie, the editorial priorities are clear:

Novelty is non-negotiable. The paper must report something genuinely new. Incremental improvements on known methods or materials get desk-rejected, even if the chemistry is solid.

Significance matters. Your result needs to advance the field in a meaningful way. "We made a slightly better catalyst" isn't enough. "We made a catalyst that works under conditions previously thought impossible" is.

Clarity wins. Editors and reviewers read hundreds of papers. A clearly written Communication with a strong opening paragraph and well-designed figures stands out. Don't bury the key result on page 3.

The first paragraph is everything. Angewandte Chemie Communications are short. Your opening paragraph needs to grab the reader immediately. State the problem, state what you did, and state why it matters. Save the detailed background for the Supporting Information.

Final pre-submit checklist

Before you hit submit, run through this list:

• Manuscript is within the 4-page limit (Communications) or appropriate length (Articles)
• Using the correct Wiley-VCH template
• Cover letter explains novelty, significance, and broad appeal
• 3-4 reviewer suggestions included with affiliations and emails
• All figures are 300+ dpi or vector format
• All new compounds have full characterization data
• Supporting Information is complete and properly formatted
• References use Angewandte Chemie style
• Author contributions statement included
• Conflict of interest declaration included
• Crystallographic data deposited with CCDC (if applicable)
• Safety information included for hazardous procedures
• All co-authors have approved the final version

Sources

• Wiley-VCH editorial policies and Angewandte Chemie International Edition author guidelines (March 2026)
• Clarivate Analytics, Journal Citation Reports 2024 (JIF 16.9, 5-Year JIF 16.4, Q1, Rank 15/239 Chemistry Multidisciplinary)
• Author experience data from SciRev and academic forums
• Angewandte Chemie review time
• How to avoid desk rejection