Chemical Communications Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

ChemComm is one of the premier rapid communication journals in chemistry, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Unlike most journals that set word limits, ChemComm uses page limits as the primary constraint.

The 5-page limit for Communications is strict, and the main scientific story is still constrained. Up to 3.5 pages may be used for the title, authors, main text up to and including conclusions, figures, schemes, and tables. The remaining space is for conflicts of interest, data availability, author contributions, acknowledgements, and references. Most authors still need to keep the main text tight and use only a small number of figures or tables.

ChemComm has an impact factor above 4.5 and publishes around 3,000 Communications per year. The review process is fast by chemistry standards, typically 3-4 weeks for the first decision. The acceptance rate is approximately 25%.

A practical point: the page constraint means ChemComm papers are almost always accompanied by substantial Electronic Supplementary Information (ESI). The communication itself presents the headline results; the ESI contains the full experimental details. This is expected, not optional.

ChemComm Communications use a very short abstract. The current RSC guidance caps Communication abstracts at 50 words, so it functions more like a compressed discoverability statement than a full journal abstract.

• Abstract: 50 words maximum for Communications.

• 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 short abstract means the opening paragraph of your Communication still has to do real editorial work. It is what reviewers use to understand why this result deserves the rapid-communication format. 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 5-page Communication with only 3.5 pages available for the main scientific story, figures still 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 a small number of 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 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 the page limit, 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:

Very short abstract for Communications. The current RSC format gives Communications a 50-word maximum abstract. Treat it as a search-and-discovery statement, not a full summary.

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 the 5-page layout or using more than 3.5 pages for the main story. 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.

In our pre-submission review work with manuscripts targeting Chemical Communications, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

Communication length exceeds the current 5-page structure. ChemComm is a communications journal with a strict 5-page limit, and only the first 3.5 pages are available for the main scientific story. Papers that use the added statement/reference space to hide extra results or discussion are still violating the Communication format. The most consistent error is submitting a full research article, or a communication with an oversized Experimental section, that has been written without counting against the RSC Communication template.

Novelty claim does not meet the "urgent" communications standard. ChemComm editors apply a higher novelty threshold than most chemistry journals, requiring that the work be of "high priority" warranting rapid communication. Papers that incrementally extend prior work, report one new compound in a known family, or demonstrate a modest improvement to a known method without a conceptual advance are desk-rejected. The cover letter's novelty argument must address why speed of communication is warranted.

Table of Contents (TOC) graphic wrong RSC dimensions or absent. RSC journals require a TOC graphic at 8 cm wide by 4 cm tall (not the ACS square format). The graphic must be self-contained and interpretable without reading the paper. Missing TOC graphics or those formatted for ACS dimensions cause administrative return.

Experimental section incomplete per RSC standards. ChemComm requires characterization data sufficient for independent replication: NMR chemical shifts with multiplicity and coupling constants, HRMS data, melting points for solids, and optical rotation for chiral compounds. Omitting characterization data or referencing "data not shown" for synthetic intermediates causes requests for revision before review.

A Chemical Communications submission readiness check evaluates manuscript length, novelty framing, TOC graphic compliance, and characterization completeness against these desk-rejection patterns.