What is the impact factor of Chemical Reviews?

Chemical Reviews has an impact factor of 55.8 (2024). This places it among the top-tier journals in its field with Chemical Reviews is a leading chemistry review journal publishing comprehensive reviews of major topics in chemistry.

How long does Chemical Reviews take to review?

Chemical Reviews typically takes ~120 days to first decision. The full review process involves 6 main stages: contact editor about review proposal, receive invitation and scope agreement, and peer review.

Is Chemical Reviews peer reviewed?

Yes, Chemical Reviews is fully peer reviewed. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review by Email editor with proposed review topic, scope, and your expertise. Most reviews are by invitation, so pre-proposal communication critical..

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Chemical Reviews Impact Factor 55.8: Publishing Guide

Q: What is the acceptance rate of Chemical Reviews?

Chemical Reviews has an acceptance rate of ~5%. A common reason for rejection is submitting reviews without explicit invitation. Chemical Reviews typically invites reviews. Unsolicited submissions are rarely considered. Contact editor first.

Q: What does Chemical Reviews look for in submissions?

Comprehensive coverage of important chemistry topics: Reviews must comprehensively cover significant chemistry areas. Comprehensive means thorough treatment of literature, key advances, and future directions.

Q: What should I know before submitting to Chemical Reviews?

Chemical Reviews typically invites reviews. Contact the editor to propose review topics rather than submitting unsolicited. Invitations are far more likely to be accepted.

Invited and commissioned chemistry reviews with broad field relevance.

55.8

Impact Factor (2024)

~5%

Acceptance Rate

~120 days to first decision

Time to First Decision

What Chemical Reviews Publishes

Chemical Reviews is a leading chemistry review journal publishing comprehensive reviews of major topics in chemistry. The journal emphasizes authoritative, comprehensive treatments of significant chemistry subdisciplines written by world-leading experts.

Comprehensive reviews of major chemistry topics
Synthesis and synthetic methodologies
Molecular structure and reactivity
Catalytic chemistry and mechanisms
Materials and nanochemistry
Biological and medicinal chemistry
Environmental and green chemistry

Editor Insight

“Chemical Reviews publishes authoritative reviews by world experts comprehensively covering important chemistry topics. We want reviews that aren't just literature surveys but provide critical synthesis, identify gaps, and point toward future research. Your review should be the definitive treatment of its topic for years to come.”

What Chemical Reviews Editors Look For

Comprehensive coverage of important chemistry topics

Reviews must comprehensively cover significant chemistry areas. Comprehensive means thorough treatment of literature, key advances, and future directions.

Written by recognized world experts

Chemical Reviews expects authoritative reviews from scientists who have made major contributions to the field. Expertise is essential.

Critical analysis, not just literature summary

Excellent reviews don't just catalog literature. They provide critical evaluation, identify gaps, and discuss future research directions.

Novel synthesis of existing knowledge

Integrate diverse literature into coherent narrative showing how field has evolved and where it's headed. Original perspectives strengthen reviews.

Clear organization and accessibility

Comprehensive reviews must be well-organized and accessible to chemists across all specialties. Clarity enables broader impact.

Forward-looking perspective

Reviews should identify challenges, opportunities, and future research directions. Looking forward increases lasting impact.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Chemical Reviews's editorial review:

Submitting reviews without explicit invitation

Chemical Reviews typically invites reviews. Unsolicited submissions are rarely considered. Contact editor first.

Incomplete literature coverage

Reviews must comprehensively cover the field. Significant omissions of important work reduce review credibility.

Purely descriptive treatment without critical analysis

Excellent reviews critically evaluate literature, identify trends, and discuss implications. Mere summarization isn't sufficient.

Unclear organization or poor accessibility

Comprehensive reviews must be readable. Poor organization or accessibility to non-specialists limits impact.

No original perspectives or novel insights

Reviews synthesizing existing knowledge with original critical perspective have more impact than comprehensive literature summaries.

Ignoring recent developments

Reviews must include recent work. Omitting important recent literature makes reviews outdated.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against Chemical Reviews's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

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Insider Tips from Chemical Reviews Authors

Chemical Reviews typically invites reviews

Contact the editor to propose review topics rather than submitting unsolicited. Invitations are far more likely to be accepted.

Review by recognized leaders highly selective

Chemical Reviews publishes reviews by world experts. Early-career scientists are rarely published here unless co-authoring with established leaders.

Comprehensive scope extremely important

Reviews should cover major subtopics within the area. Narrow or incomplete coverage reduces competitiveness.

High-quality figures and tables strengthen reviews

Visual organization of complex information helps readers. Excellent schemes, reaction tables, and data presentations enhance comprehension.

Forward-looking perspective increases impact

Reviews identifying research gaps and future opportunities are more impactful than those focused purely on past.

Interdisciplinary connections valued

Reviews showing how chemistry subdisciplines connect to other fields increase breadth and impact.

Critical evaluation more important than comprehensiveness

A critically evaluative 10,000-word review is stronger than a purely comprehensive 50,000-word review.

Update frequency matters

Comprehensive reviews become outdated. Be prepared to update reviews periodically as field evolves.

The Chemical Reviews Submission Process

Contact editor about review proposal

Proposal phase

Email editor with proposed review topic, scope, and your expertise. Most reviews are by invitation, so pre-proposal communication critical.

Receive invitation and scope agreement

1-2 weeks

Editor confirms topic, scope, and approximate length. Agree on timeline and update frequency if applicable.

Conduct comprehensive literature survey

Literature review phase - weeks to months

Thoroughly review all significant literature in field. Identify key papers, major advances, controversies, and gaps.

Write comprehensive critical review

Writing phase - months

Organize literature into logical narrative. Provide critical analysis, identify trends, discuss implications, and point forward.

Submit completed review

Submission

Provide manuscript, figures/tables, comprehensive reference list. Submit via Chemical Reviews portal.

Editorial evaluation and peer review

120+ days for review and decision

Editor and reviewers evaluate comprehensiveness, critical analysis, organization, and accessibility. High standards expected.

Chemical Reviews by the Numbers

2024 Impact Factor(Highest in chemistry - Clarivate JCR 2024)	55.8
5-Year Impact Factor	54.2
CiteScore (Scopus)	106.9
Articles per year	~40-50 (highly selective)
Overall acceptance rate	~5%
Median publication time	~150-200 days from acceptance
Average article length	10,000-30,000 words
Founded(American Chemical Society; premier review journal)	1922
Publication frequency	Monthly
ISSN	0009-2665

Before you submit

Chemical Reviews accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to Chemical Reviews. ~30 minutes.

Run Free Readiness Scan See a sample report

Article Types

Comprehensive Review

10,000-30,000 words

Authoritative, comprehensive treatment of major chemistry topic. Typically 10,000-30,000 words covering all significant literature.

Perspectives (by invitation only)

~5,000-8,000 words

Shorter critical essays on emerging topics or subdisciplines. Rarely solicited from outside world leaders.

Landmark Chemical Reviews Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

Comprehensive reviews of organic synthesis methodologies - benchmark references for chemists
Catalysis reviews defining catalytic mechanisms and applications - foundational for catalytic science
Nanomaterials synthesis and properties - definitive references shaping nanotechnology
Medicinal chemistry approaches to drug design - guiding pharmaceutical innovation
Green chemistry principles and sustainable synthesis - driving environmentally responsible chemistry

Preparing a Chemical Reviews Submission?

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Primary Fields

Synthetic ChemistryCatalysisMaterials ChemistryBiological ChemistryEnvironmental ChemistryPhysical ChemistryPolymer Chemistry

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