Best Inorganic Chemistry Journals (2026): Ranked by Impact and Accessibility

Nature Chemistry (IF 19.2) publishes inorganic chemistry when it rewrites fundamental understanding. A new bonding motif, a catalytic cycle that changes the field, or a biomimetic system that solves a long-standing problem. The editorial bar is extremely high and the timeline is long. Most inorganic groups target it once every few years at most.

Angewandte Chemie (IF 16.1) is the most common elite target for inorganic chemists. The communication format works well for new complexes with unexpected properties, novel catalytic systems, or synthetic breakthroughs. The German chemical community has deep inorganic roots, and Angew reflects that tradition.

JACS (IF 14.4) publishes a substantial amount of inorganic chemistry, from coordination compounds to bioinorganic mechanisms to solid-state synthesis. The full article format is particularly valuable for inorganic work that needs space to develop a complete story with spectroscopy, crystallography, and computational support.

ACS Catalysis (IF 11.3) takes inorganic chemistry when there's a catalytic application. Homogeneous catalysis with transition metals, heterogeneous catalysis with metal oxides, and electrocatalysis all fit. If your inorganic compound does something useful as a catalyst, this journal gives you a high-impact, focused audience.

Chemical Science (IF 7.6) deserves special attention because it's completely free to publish in. No author charges, period. For a field where grants aren't always large, this matters. The quality is high, the journal is respected, and the open access model means everyone can read your work.

JACS Au (IF 8.5) is growing fast as the gold OA companion to JACS. It's a strong cascade from JACS and carries the ACS editorial brand. If your paper is excellent but not quite JACS-level, JACS Au is an increasingly attractive option.

Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers (IF 5.2) from the RSC has become a legitimate competitor to Inorganic Chemistry from ACS. It's newer but has built a strong reputation quickly. The editorial team is responsive and the scope is broad across all of inorganic chemistry.

Inorganic Chemistry (IF 4.0) remains the journal of record for the field. It's where the community publishes detailed structural studies, magnetic property investigations, and thorough coordination chemistry. The acceptance rate of about 30% is reasonable, and the reviewer pool is deeply knowledgeable. If you're an inorganic chemist, you know this journal. Your committee knows it. Your tenure reviewers know it.

Dalton Transactions (IF 3.4) from the RSC is the British counterpart to Inorganic Chemistry. It's particularly strong in coordination chemistry, organometallics, and bioinorganic chemistry. The journal has a loyal European readership and a straightforward review process. APCs for hybrid OA are lower than ACS equivalents.

Chemistry: A European Journal (IF 3.9) publishes across chemistry but has a reasonable inorganic presence. It's an option when your paper doesn't fit the scope of a dedicated inorganic journal.

Organometallics (IF 3.0) from ACS is the dedicated journal for organometallic chemistry. If your work involves metal-carbon bonds, this is the purpose-built home. The community reads it and respects it, regardless of the IF being lower than broader journals.

New Journal of Chemistry (IF 2.8) from the RSC is a general chemistry journal that accepts solid inorganic work. It's a reasonable fallback when more selective journals aren't the right fit.

European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry (IF 2.2) from Wiley has seen its IF decline over the years, but it still publishes competent inorganic chemistry. The scope is broad and acceptance rates are relatively high.

RSC Advances (IF 3.9) is a broad, gold OA journal that accepts solid inorganic chemistry. It's a good option when you need open access at a reasonable cost.

If your inorganic compound has a truly unusual electronic structure or bonding, JACS or Angew is the right target. The broader chemistry community needs to see it.

If you've developed a new homogeneous catalyst, ACS Catalysis is the natural home, especially if you can demonstrate scope and mechanism.

If you have a thorough study of a new complex or family of complexes with full characterization, Inorganic Chemistry is exactly what you need. It's built for that kind of paper.

If your work is bioinorganic, consider JACS for high-impact results or Dalton Transactions for solid studies. There's no dedicated high-IF bioinorganic journal, so these communities span multiple publications.

If you want free open access for a strong paper, Chemical Science should be your first choice. The IF is excellent and it costs nothing.

If your paper is about organometallic chemistry specifically, Organometallics gives you the exact audience you need. The readers are your peers.