Chemical Communications Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

ChemComm Communications don't have a traditional abstract. This is unusual and catches authors off guard.

• Abstract: Not required and not published for Communications. The TOC entry text serves a similar function.
• TOC entry text: A brief summary (1-2 sentences, approximately 20-30 words) that accompanies the TOC graphic. This is the text that appears in the table of contents alongside your graphic.
• Keywords: Not required by ChemComm. RSC handles subject indexing internally.

The absence of a formal abstract means the opening paragraph of your Communication serves as the de facto abstract. It's what readers see first and what indexing services pull. Make it count. State the problem and your finding in the first 2-3 sentences. Don't begin with generic background.

Feature Articles (invited) do include an abstract of approximately 50-100 words. But since these are invitation-only, you'll receive specific guidance from the editor.

In a 4-page Communication, figures compete fiercely for space. Every figure must be essential.

Figure specifications:

TOC graphic (mandatory):

The TOC graphic is one of ChemComm's signature elements. It appears in the journal's table of contents, on the article webpage, and in RSS feeds. A good TOC graphic can significantly boost readership. Keep it simple: one reaction scheme, one structure, or one key result visualization. Don't try to cram your entire paper into the graphic.

Most ChemComm Communications include 2-3 figures or schemes. Chemical structures and reaction schemes are typically drawn in ChemDraw and submitted as CDX files, which RSC's production system processes natively. If you submit structures as images, the production team may redraw them, which can introduce errors.

Color is free online. RSC charges for print color, but print is increasingly irrelevant for readership.

ChemComm uses the RSC numbered reference style, which has a distinctive quirk: article titles are not included.

In-text citations: Superscript numbers: ^1, ^2, ^1,2, ^1-3. Numbers assigned sequentially based on first appearance.

Reference list format:

1 A. B. Author, C. D. Author and E. F. Author, J. Abbrev. Name, 2024, 45, 123-128.

Key formatting details:

• No article titles. This is the defining feature of RSC style. The reference list does not include paper titles. Just authors, journal abbreviation, year, volume, and pages.
• Author names: Initials then surname (e.g., "J. K. Smith")
• "and" before last author
• Journal names abbreviated per RSC conventions
• Year follows journal name, preceded by a comma
• Volume in bold
• No issue numbers
• DOIs are not included in the reference list (RSC adds them during production)

The no-title policy is unusual. Most modern citation styles include article titles. RSC's approach saves space (relevant in a 4-page Communication) but makes the reference list harder to scan. It also means your citation manager needs to be set to RSC style specifically. The default styles in Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote don't drop titles.

Reference counts for Communications typically range from 15 to 30. With only 4 pages, references consume significant space. Cite selectively.

Electronic Supplementary Information (ESI) is where the real depth of a ChemComm paper lives.

What goes in the ESI:

• Full experimental procedures (synthesis, purification, characterization)
• NMR spectra (1H, 13C, and any other nuclei)
• Mass spectrometry data
• X-ray crystallographic data (CIF files)
• Computational details (methods, coordinates, energies)
• Additional figures, tables, and control experiments

The ESI is submitted as a single PDF file (with CIF files as separate uploads for crystallographic data). RSC provides an ESI template that should be used.

ESI goes through full peer review. Reviewers typically scrutinize the ESI as carefully as the Communication itself, particularly the characterization data. Missing NMR spectra or incomplete characterization data is a common reason for revision requests.

CIF files: For papers with crystallographic data, CIF files must be deposited with the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) and the CCDC deposition number cited in the paper. RSC will not publish crystal structures without CCDC deposition.

Compound characterization standards: ChemComm requires full characterization of all new compounds. At minimum: 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). For known compounds, comparison of spectral data with literature values is sufficient.

These are ChemComm-specific details that regular authors know:

No abstract for Communications. The most distinctive formatting feature. Don't include an abstract section. The TOC entry text and your opening paragraph serve this function.

TOC graphic is mandatory. Your submission will be returned without review if the TOC graphic is missing. It's not optional, not "encouraged," not "recommended." It's required.

Footnotes, not endnotes. ChemComm uses footnotes for author affiliations, current addresses, and acknowledgments. The corresponding author's email appears as a footnote, not in the header. The format is specific: "E-mail: author@institution.edu" with a dagger (cross) symbol.

RSC article numbering. ChemComm articles don't use traditional page numbers in the citation format. Instead, they have article identifiers. When citing a ChemComm paper, the format is: Author, Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 1234 (where 1234 is the first page of the article).

Chemical nomenclature. RSC requires IUPAC nomenclature for all chemical compounds. Trivial names can be used for well-known compounds if the IUPAC name is given at first mention. This is enforced during production.

Graphical abstract vs TOC graphic. These are the same thing in ChemComm. Some journals distinguish between them; ChemComm doesn't.

Compound numbering in bold. Chemical compounds referenced by number in the text should be in bold (e.g., "Compound 1 was treated with..."). Scheme references should also be bold.

These get flagged in ChemComm submissions:

1. TOC graphic missing or wrong size. The graphic must be exactly 8.5 x 4.5 cm. Wrong dimensions trigger a return.

1. Article titles in references. Citation managers include titles by default. RSC style doesn't. Remove them manually or set the correct output style.

1. Exceeding 4 pages. The page limit is calculated in the two-column journal layout, which is denser than your double-spaced manuscript. Use the RSC template in two-column mode to estimate your real page count before submitting.

1. Missing characterization data in ESI. Full NMR spectra and HRMS for all new compounds. Missing data is one of the most common reasons for revision at ChemComm.

1. CCDC deposition for crystal structures. If you report a crystal structure, the CIF file must be deposited with CCDC before submission. Include the deposition number in the text.