Applied Catalysis B APC and Open Access: Elsevier Pricing, R&P Agreements, and How It Compares to ACS Catalysis
Applied Catalysis B charges ~$4,000-$4,500 for open access. Elsevier hybrid model, Read & Publish deals, and how it compares to ACS Catalysis and Nature Catalysis.
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Quick answer: Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy charges approximately $4,000-$4,500 for gold open access. It's a hybrid Elsevier journal, so the subscription track is free. With an impact factor around 22, Applied Catalysis B is the highest-ranked specialized catalysis journal and one of the most competitive places to publish in the environmental and energy catalysis space.
What Applied Catalysis B charges
Component | Details |
|---|---|
Gold OA APC | ~$4,000-$4,500 |
CC BY license | Higher end of range |
CC BY-NC-ND license | Lower end of range |
Subscription-track | $0 |
Submission fee | $0 |
Page/color charges | $0 |
Applied Catalysis B sits in Elsevier's upper pricing tier, reflecting its high impact factor. The APC has been rising in recent years as the journal's citation metrics have climbed. Three years ago, the fee was closer to $3,500. Elsevier adjusts APCs annually based on journal performance metrics, and Applied Catalysis B's trajectory has been consistently upward.
No additional charges apply for color figures, supplementary data, or extended manuscript length. Elsevier charges one flat APC regardless of whether your paper is 6 pages or 20.
Why Applied Catalysis B costs what it does
The APC reflects several factors:
- Impact factor of ~22. Elsevier's APC pricing tiers correlate with IF. Applied Catalysis B's IF is roughly double that of most other catalysis journals, placing it in a premium bracket.
- High submission volume. The journal receives thousands of submissions annually. Strong demand gives Elsevier pricing power.
- Desk rejection rate of 50-60%. More than half of submitted papers are rejected without review. The editorial filtering is intense, which contributes to the journal's selectivity and IF.
- Elsevier's commercial model. As a for-profit publisher, Elsevier prices based on what the market will bear for high-IF journals.
The cost is comparable to other premium Elsevier journals in materials science and engineering. It's lower than Cell Press journals (~$9,500) but higher than most RSC or ACS catalysis-focused journals.
Elsevier Read & Publish agreements
Elsevier's global network of transformative agreements may cover the Applied Catalysis B APC for your institution.
Region / Consortium | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Netherlands (VSNU) | Full APC coverage | Elsevier's home country |
Germany (DEAL) | Full coverage | Largest European OA deal |
UK (Jisc) | Full or partial | Depends on institution tier |
Sweden | Full coverage | Bibsam consortium |
Norway | Full coverage | Unit consortium |
Hungary | Full coverage | EISZ consortium |
Finland | Full coverage | FinELib |
United States | Limited | Select universities only |
China | Very limited | Individual institutional deals |
European researchers are most likely to have coverage. If you're at a German, Dutch, or Scandinavian university, your Elsevier agreement almost certainly covers Applied Catalysis B.
US and Chinese researchers, who make up a large share of Applied Catalysis B's author base, are less likely to have full R&P coverage. China in particular submits a high volume to this journal but has limited Elsevier OA agreements.
How to check: Ask your university library or check Elsevier's institutional agreement finder. Don't assume coverage exists. Confirm it before choosing the OA option at acceptance.
Waivers and discounts
Developing country waivers: Elsevier's Research4Life-aligned program offers full waivers (Group A countries) or 50% reductions (Group B countries) for corresponding authors.
Financial hardship: Case-by-case requests are possible. Elsevier's stated policy allows authors to request fee reductions when institutional funding isn't available.
No society discounts: Applied Catalysis B isn't affiliated with a learned society. There's no equivalent of ACS or RSC membership discounts.
Grant funding: Most major catalysis research funders (DOE, EPSRC, DFG, NWO, NSFC) allow publication costs in grant budgets. If you're applying for a grant that involves environmental or energy catalysis, include APC costs in your budget.
Funder mandate compliance
Funder/Policy | Compliant? | Route |
|---|---|---|
Plan S (cOAlition S) | Yes | Gold OA with CC BY |
NIH Public Access | Yes | Gold OA or green OA after embargo |
UKRI | Yes | Gold OA with CC BY |
ERC | Yes | Gold OA with CC BY |
Horizon Europe | Yes | Gold OA with CC BY |
NSF | Yes | Gold OA or embargo deposit |
DOE | Yes | Green OA via OSTI |
NSFC (China) | Varies | Gold OA or institutional repository |
For Plan S compliance, you need the CC BY license, which is the more expensive end of the APC range. European researchers with R&P agreements won't notice the difference since it's covered.
US and Chinese researchers can usually satisfy funder requirements through the subscription track plus green OA self-archiving after Elsevier's standard 24-month embargo. This is the most cost-effective approach when you don't have APC funding.
How Applied Catalysis B compares
Journal | APC (USD) | Model | IF (2024) | Publisher | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applied Catalysis B | ~$4,000-$4,500 | Hybrid | ~22 | Elsevier | Environmental/energy catalysis |
ACS Catalysis | ~$5,000-$6,000 | Hybrid | ~12 | ACS | Broad catalysis |
Journal of Catalysis | ~$4,000-$4,500 | Hybrid | ~7 | Elsevier | Fundamental catalysis |
Green Chemistry | ~$2,500-$3,000 | Hybrid | ~10 | RSC | Green/sustainable chemistry |
Nature Catalysis | ~$12,850 | Hybrid | ~38 | Springer Nature | High-impact catalysis |
ACS Energy Letters | ~$5,000-$6,000 | Hybrid | ~20 | ACS | Energy (incl. catalysis) |
Applied Catalysis B vs. ACS Catalysis: This is the most common comparison. Applied Catalysis B has a higher IF (~22 vs ~12) but is narrower in scope (environmental and energy applications). ACS Catalysis is broader, covering homogeneous, heterogeneous, bio, and electrocatalysis. ACS Catalysis charges more for OA (~$5,000-$6,000 vs ~$4,000-$4,500). If your work is specifically about photocatalytic degradation, CO2 reduction, or water splitting for environmental applications, Applied Catalysis B is the more targeted venue.
Applied Catalysis B vs. Journal of Catalysis: Journal of Catalysis (also Elsevier) is the oldest and most fundamental catalysis journal. It has a lower IF (~7) and focuses on understanding catalytic mechanisms rather than applications. The APC is similar. Choose Journal of Catalysis for fundamental mechanistic work. Choose Applied Catalysis B for application-driven environmental or energy catalysis.
Applied Catalysis B vs. Green Chemistry: Green Chemistry (RSC) is cheaper (~$2,500-$3,000) and focuses on sustainable chemistry more broadly. If your catalysis work has a strong sustainability angle but isn't specifically about environmental remediation or energy, Green Chemistry might be a better (and cheaper) fit.
Applied Catalysis B vs. Nature Catalysis: Nature Catalysis is the prestige option at 3x the cost. It publishes fewer than 200 papers per year and is extremely selective. For most catalysis researchers, it's aspirational rather than practical.
What Applied Catalysis B editors actually want
Understanding the editorial filter helps explain why 50-60% of papers are desk-rejected:
- Application focus is mandatory. Pure fundamental catalysis studies without clear environmental or energy relevance will be desk-rejected. The "B" in the journal title means environmental and energy applications. If your paper doesn't directly address pollution control, water treatment, CO2 conversion, hydrogen production, or similar applications, submit elsewhere.
- Novelty, not optimization. Papers that simply test a new combination of known catalysts on a known reaction face an uphill battle. Editors want new catalytic materials, new mechanisms, or new reaction systems.
- Strong characterization. Applied Catalysis B expects thorough catalyst characterization (XRD, XPS, TEM, BET, etc.) alongside performance data. Performance-only papers are routinely rejected.
- Stability and recyclability data. For heterogeneous catalysis papers, reviewers expect cycling tests and long-term stability data. Single-use performance metrics aren't sufficient.
Hidden costs
- No page charges beyond the APC. Whether your paper is 8 pages or 25, the flat APC applies.
- Supplementary materials are free. You can include extensive supporting characterization data.
- Revision cycles can be long. Applied Catalysis B typically requires 1-2 rounds of revision. Factor in 3-6 months from submission to acceptance.
- English editing may be needed. A significant portion of submissions come from non-English-speaking countries. If English isn't your first language, budget for professional editing before submission.
The practical decision
For catalysis researchers:
- European institution with Elsevier R&P? Choose gold OA for free. Your library agreement almost certainly covers Applied Catalysis B.
- No R&P deal, funder requires OA? Pay the APC (~$4,000-$4,500). Budget it into your next grant.
- No OA requirement? Publish via subscription for free. Self-archive after the embargo.
- Fundamental catalysis, not applications? Submit to ACS Catalysis or Journal of Catalysis instead.
- Budget constrained? Green Chemistry (~$2,500-$3,000) is cheaper and covers sustainability-oriented catalysis.
Applied Catalysis B's high desk rejection rate means your manuscript needs to be polished before submission. Weak framing, missing characterization data, or unclear application relevance will get you rejected without review. Run a free readiness scan to check your paper's structure and completeness before you submit.
Reference library
Use the core publishing datasets alongside this guide
This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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