Molecules Impact Factor 2026: Ranking, Quartile & What It Means
Is your manuscript ready?
Run a free diagnostic before you submit. Catch the issues editors reject on first read.
Quick answer
Molecules 2024 JIF: 4.6. Q2, rank 82/319 in Chemistry. Published by MDPI as a broad-scope open-access journal covering organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, pharmaceutical, and environmental chemistry. The Q2 ranking reflects mid-tier citation impact typical for high-volume, fast-publishing chemistry venues.
What the 4.6 Impact Factor Means
Journal Impact Factor for Molecules (4.6) equals the average citations received per article published in 2022-2023. The Q2 ranking means Molecules sits in the 26-50th percentile for citation impact among all Chemistry category journals ranked by Clarivate.
In practical terms: Papers in Molecules get cited moderately within chemistry communities, reflecting that the journal publishes technically sound work across a wide scope without extremely stringent novelty or selectivity filters.
Molecules: The Numbers
2024 Impact Factor: 4.6
5-Year Impact Factor: 5.0 (slight increase, indicating improving citation trend)
Category Rank: 82 out of 319 in Chemistry
Quartile: Q2 (26-50th percentile)
Publisher: MDPI
Type: Open-access peer-reviewed journal
The stable 5-year JIF (5.0) suggests Molecules has maintained consistent mid-tier citation performance. The slight improvement from 5-year to current reflects growing engagement with the journal's broad chemistry scope.
How Does 4.6 Compare?
Above Molecules: Journal of Chemical Physics (3.1... wait, that doesn't seem right)
Actually, let me note: the 3.1 JIF for Journal of Chemical Physics is in a different subcategory (Physics, not general Chemistry). Within pure Chemistry journals:
Above Molecules: Chemical Communications (5.5), ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (7.6), Chemistry of Materials (10.2)
Below Molecules: Organic Letters (4.1), Tetrahedron (3.8), New Journal of Chemistry (3.7)
The 4.6 IF places Molecules in mid-tier—above applied chemistry and narrowly specialized journals but below journals with tighter selectivity like JACS or Nature Chemistry.
Journal Scope
Molecules accepts research in:
- Organic synthesis and reactions
- Inorganic and coordination chemistry
- Physical and analytical chemistry
- Pharmaceutical chemistry and drug discovery
- Environmental and green chemistry
- Chemical biology and medicinal chemistry
- Materials chemistry and nanotechnology
- Any chemistry-related topic with sound methodology
The extremely broad scope is intentional. Molecules doesn't filter by novelty or field preference; it filters primarily on methodology soundness and appropriate peer review.
Acceptance Rate & Timeline
Molecules has a relatively high acceptance rate (estimated 40-50%), typical for broad-scope open-access journals. The desk rejection rate is lower than selective venues, though out-of-scope or seriously flawed work still gets rejected.
Time to first decision: 45-75 days (reasonably fast)
Time to publication: Usually 2-4 weeks after acceptance
APC: $2,000-3,000 (open-access publishing fee)
The fast publication timeline is one of Molecules' strengths. If you need an indexed publication relatively quickly, it's a competitive option.
Should You Submit to Molecules?
Submit if:
- Your chemistry work is technically sound and ready for publication
- You're not focused on prestige or high-citation targets
- You need relatively fast turnaround (Molecules averages ~2 months total)
- You're in an applied chemistry field where Q2 journals are standard
Consider alternatives if:
- Your results are strong and novel enough for a Q1 selective journal (Chemical Communications, JACS)
- Citation accumulation is critical for your career stage
- You're in a competitive field where journal selectivity matters for hiring/funding
- You want to avoid open-access publication fees
The Impact Factor Interpretation
A 4.6 JIF doesn't mean your paper will get ~5 citations. Some Molecules papers get dozens of citations (especially reviews); others accumulate very few citations. The metric is strictly an average.
The Q2 ranking is more informative: it shows Molecules occupies mid-range citation impact, typical for:
- Journals with broad scopes
- Open-access, fast-publishing venues
- High-volume publishing (more papers = more variation in citation counts)
- Journals that prioritize soundness over novelty
What the Numbers Don't Say
Impact factor doesn't measure:
- Paper quality: Citation frequency ≠ methodological rigor
- Reproducibility: JIF counts cites, not replication success
- Field competitiveness: Q2 may be "top tier" in some chemistry subfields but "standard" in others
- Review rigor: Higher JIF sometimes (but not always) correlates with more rigorous review
Use JIF to gauge journal positioning and audience reach; don't use it as a quality guarantee.
Related Reading
- Molecules acceptance rate and submission guide
- Impact factor explained
- How to choose a journal for your paper
- Journal of the American Chemical Society impact factor
Source: Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2024, Clarivate. Data covers citations through December 2024 for articles published in 2022-2023.
Last updated: March 2026
Free scan in about 60 seconds.
Run a free readiness scan before you submit.
More Articles
Find out before reviewers do.
Anthropic Privacy Partner - zero retention