Is Angewandte Chemie a Good Journal? Impact, Scope, and Fit
Angewandte Chemie (IF 16.6, GDCh/Wiley, Q1) is the most prestigious communication-format chemistry journal. Here is who should submit and how it compares to JACS and Nature Chemistry.
Senior Researcher, Chemistry
Author context
Specializes in manuscript preparation and peer review strategy for chemistry journals, with deep experience evaluating submissions to JACS, Angewandte Chemie, Chemical Reviews, and ACS-family journals.
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
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Angewandte Chemie International Edition at a glance
Key metrics to place the journal before deciding whether it fits your manuscript and career goals.
What makes this journal worth targeting
- IF 16.9 puts Angewandte Chemie International Edition in a visible tier — citations from papers here carry real weight.
- Scope specificity matters more than impact factor for most manuscript decisions.
- Acceptance rate of ~~15-25% means fit determines most outcomes.
When to look elsewhere
- When your paper sits at the edge of the journal's stated scope — borderline fit rarely improves after submission.
- If timeline matters: Angewandte Chemie International Edition takes ~~2-6 weeks. A faster-turnaround journal may suit a grant or job deadline better.
- If open access is required by your funder, verify the journal's OA agreements before submitting.
How to read Angewandte Chemie - International Edition as a target
This page should help you decide whether Angewandte Chemie - International Edition belongs on the shortlist, not just whether it sounds impressive.
Question | Quick read |
|---|---|
Best for | Angewandte Chemie is one of the highest-impact chemistry journals, published by Wiley. It emphasizes broadly. |
Editors prioritize | Immediate and practical significance |
Think twice if | Limited substrate scope for methods papers |
Typical article types | Full Article, Communication, Minireview |
Angewandte Chemie International Edition (IF 16.6, GDCh/Wiley, Q1 Chemistry) is, alongside JACS, one of the two most prestigious general chemistry journals in the world. But there is a real editorial distinction between them that should drive your submission decision.
Angewandte is the Communication journal. Its signature format is ~2,000 words. The editorial culture prizes immediacy, conciseness, and broad chemistry significance. If your result cannot be made compelling to chemists outside your exact specialty within that space, this is probably not the right target.
Angewandte Chemie at a Glance
Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
Impact Factor (2024) | 16.6 |
Publisher | GDCh (German Chemical Society) / Wiley |
Quartile | Q1 (Chemistry, Multidisciplinary) |
Acceptance Rate | ~20% |
Primary Format | Communication (~2,000 words) |
Open Access APC | ~$5,500 (hybrid; OA optional) |
Review Speed | Fast - editorial decisions in 1-2 weeks, review in 4-8 weeks |
Key Strength | Broad-significance chemistry with editorial sharpness |
How Angewandte Chemie Compares to Peer Journals
Feature | Angewandte Chemie | JACS | Nature Chemistry | Chem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IF (2024) | 16.6 | 14.4 | 21.6 | 19.1 |
Acceptance Rate | ~20% | ~15-20% | ~8% | ~10% |
Signature Format | Communication (~2,000 words) | Articles + Communications | Articles | Articles |
Sweet Spot | Sharp, broad chemistry results | Deep mechanistic chemistry | Transformative chemistry concepts | High-impact chemistry (Cell Press) |
Publisher | GDCh/Wiley | ACS | Springer Nature | Cell Press |
The comparison to JACS is the one most authors actually face. Here is the honest difference: Angewandte rewards the sharpest possible version of a broadly significant result. JACS gives you room to build a longer, deeper mechanistic argument. If your paper is better at 2,000 words than at 8,000, Angewandte is the natural home. If cutting to 2,000 words would gut the mechanistic story, JACS is probably where it belongs.
Nature Chemistry (IF 19.2) is more selective and wants transformative conceptual advances. Chem (IF 19.1, Cell Press) occupies a similar tier but with a different editorial culture. Both are harder to get into and publish fewer papers.
What Angewandte Editors Actually Select
The editorial screen at Angewandte asks one core question: will chemists across multiple subdisciplines find this immediately interesting?
Papers that succeed here share these traits:
- The core advance is understandable to a general chemistry audience without specialist background
- The result feels timely - Angewandte rewards urgency and currency
- The Communication format (~2,000 words) carries the argument completely; the SI supports but does not contain the real story
- The paper teaches something that changes how chemists think, not just what they know
Papers that struggle are typically strong specialist work - excellent organic chemistry, excellent catalysis, excellent materials chemistry - but whose real audience is one subcommunity. If you need the Angewandte name to create breadth the result does not actually have, editors will catch that.
Submit If / Think Twice If
Submit if:
- Your chemistry has broad significance across organic, inorganic, physical, materials, or chemical biology communities
- The result is sharp enough to work in ~2,000 words without losing its force
- Chemists outside your specialty can grasp the importance from the abstract alone
- The paper feels timely - this is a result the field needs to see now, not a careful retrospective study
Think twice if:
- The paper needs deep mechanistic development that requires full-article length - JACS is the more natural venue
- The true audience is one chemistry subcommunity, and you are relying on the journal name to manufacture breadth
- The result is novel but incremental - novelty without broad field impact is not enough for a general chemistry flagship
- Your paper requires extensive technical buildup before the significance becomes clear - Angewandte rewards immediacy
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Run the scan with Angewandte Chemie International Edition as the target. Get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Angewandte Chemie harder to get into than JACS?
The acceptance rates are comparable (~20% vs. ~15-20%), but the editorial filters differ. Angewandte's initial screen for breadth and conciseness is especially demanding. Strong specialist work that would do well at JACS can be desk-rejected at Angewandte if it does not read as broadly significant.
What is the German connection?
Angewandte Chemie is published by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) through Wiley. The International Edition is in English and is the version that carries the IF 16.6. There is also a German-language edition. For practical purposes, the International Edition is the journal authors are targeting.
Can I submit a full Research Article to Angewandte?
Yes, but the Communication is the journal's identity. Most of the highest-cited papers are Communications. If your work needs the full-article format, JACS or Nature Chemistry may give it better visibility.
How does Angewandte compare to Chemical Science?
Chemical Science (RSC, IF ~7.6) is a strong general chemistry journal but sits a tier below Angewandte in selectivity and prestige. It is a good fallback option and publishes broader-scope work with less editorial pressure on conciseness.
Bottom Line
Angewandte Chemie is one of the two best general chemistry journals in the world. Its editorial identity is built around the Communication format - sharp, broad, timely chemistry told in ~2,000 words. If that format fits your result naturally, this is the right target. If the paper needs more space or speaks to a narrower audience, JACS or a specialist journal is the more honest choice.
Before submitting, a Angewandte Chemie scope and readiness check can help you assess whether the framing, conciseness, and breadth match what Angewandte editors look for.
Before you submit
A Angewandte Chemie submission readiness check identifies the specific framing and scope issues that trigger desk rejection before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (IF 16.6, GDCh/Wiley) is one of the two most prestigious general chemistry journals alongside JACS. It is the premier venue for Communication-format chemistry papers where broad significance and editorial conciseness matter most.
Both are top-tier general chemistry flagships. Angewandte Chemie is Communication-first (~2,000 words) and rewards sharp, immediately compelling results. JACS publishes both communications and full articles, giving more space for deep mechanistic development. If your paper needs room to build the argument, JACS is often the better fit.
Approximately 20%. This sounds moderate for a top journal, but the editorial screen is intense - many submissions are rejected before review. The papers that reach reviewers already clear a high bar for broad chemistry significance.
Angewandte is known for speed. Editorial decisions often come within 1-2 weeks, and full peer review typically takes 4-8 weeks. The Communication format supports this pace - shorter papers move faster through the system.
Primarily Communications (~2,000 words) selected for broad chemistry significance. Also publishes Research Articles, Reviews, and Minireviews, but the Communication is the journal's signature format. The paper must speak to chemists across subdisciplines, not just specialists in one area.
Sources
- 1. Angewandte Chemie author guidelines, Wiley.
- 2. Angewandte Chemie journal homepage, Wiley.
- 3. Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (2024 release).
Final step
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Run the Free Readiness Scan with Angewandte Chemie International Edition as your target journal and get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
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Where to go next
Same journal, next question
- Angewandte Chemie Submission Guide: What Editors Screen Before Review
- How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Angewandte Chemie Review Time: What Authors Can Actually Expect
- Angewandte Chemie Acceptance Rate: What Authors Can Use
- Angewandte Chemie Impact Factor 2026: 16.9, Q1
- ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION vs NATURE: Which Should You Submit To?
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