Author Guidelines

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Scope of the Journal

ACS Sustainable Resource Management is an interdisciplinary journal publishing original research describing the science and practice in the sustainable use of natural and waste resources. The journal seeks to report advances, promote discussion among various stakeholders including academic scientists, industrial practitioners and government agencies and regulators, that together help in the implementation of strategies to achieve the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Submissions covering fundamental and applied research in science and engineering of the circularity of effluent streams (gaseous, liquid, or solid forms) through the conversion to useful compounds or feedstocks are welcome. Discussions integrating systems thinking, planetary boundaries and metrics-based approaches are encouraged to ensure that the envisioned circular approaches are indeed sustainable in terms of reducing environmental footprint and toxicity. Examples of resources and applications/processes/methods that fit the scope include:

 

Resources

  • Activated sludges
  • Agriculture, aquatic & marine ecologies, forest residues (biomass, pesticides, fertilizers, nutrients, etc.)
  • Biochars
  • Biofuels and fossil fuels
  • Biological molecules
  • Contaminated soils
  • Electronic and urban wastes
  • EMI shielding (including microwave absorbers)
  • Foods, dyes, and textile effluents
  • Heavy, trace, catalytic and energy metals
  • Industrial effluents (solvents, chemicals pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, etc.)
  • Microplastics
  • Nanomaterials
  • Plastics, membranes, resins, etc.
  • Radioactive wastes
  • Solid wastes including end-of-use solar panels
  • Toxic compounds
  • Waste energy
  • Water (groundwater, wastewater, and oily wastewater, drinking water)

 

Applications/ Methods/Processes

  • Adsorption technologies
  • Advanced oxidation processes
  • Aerobic and anaerobic digestions
  • Artificial intelligence/big data in resource management
  • Biogas production
  • Biomass-based catalysis, organocatalysis electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, photocatalysis, single atom catalysis
  • Bioprocesses (biodegradation, biofiltration, bioremediation biosorption, biotreatment)
  • Chemical processing of wastes
  • Circular and net-zero economy
  • CO2 capture and utilization
  • Eco-design for the environment and ecosystem restoration
  • Electrochemical methods and processes
  • Emulsion separation and oil spill remediation
  • Gasification and pyrolysis
  • Governance, legislation, and policy for sustainable resource management
  • Green processes for waste management
  • Industrial symbiosis
  • Membrane technology and separation processes
  • Mining of waste resources
  • Phytoremediation
  • Redox processes and hydrolysis
  • Sensors and analytical methods for resource recovery
  • Sustainability metrics in resource management
  • Sustainable metallurgy
  • Thermal energy storage/conversion technologies
  • Upcycling and recycling processes

 

With a focus on the science, engineering and management of resources using sustainable approaches, ACS Sustainable Resource Management complements ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, and strengthens the overall portfolio of some ACS publications such as ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and related AMI journals,  ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, ACS Food Science & Technology, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ACS Catalysis, ACS ES&T Engineering, ACS ES&T Water, Environmental Science & Technology, Energy & Fuels, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Macromolecules, Biomacromolecules, and Langmuir.

 

Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief at eic@sustain.acs.org.

Manuscript Types

Authors are reminded to heed the noted word limits and avoid unnecessary delays in manuscript handling. Write concisely. Heed the word limits; a request to exceed them will result in critical editorial review. Do not repeat information, graphics, or tables that have appeared elsewhere. Use illustrative data rather than complete data where appropriate. Shorten manuscript text by designating appropriate material as Supporting Information.

 

Letters

These manuscripts, with a 3,000 word-equivalent limit, are preliminary but original works of broad scientific significance that merit faster publication time. Originality is defined as new experimental data, new interpretations of existing data, or new theoretical analyses of phenomena. Significance will be judged with respect to the breadth of impact of the reported findings. Manuscripts that report data of a routine nature will not be accepted. Like our sister journal, we also encourage Letters from doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows as first authors (read this Editorial for more details). The first author’s status must be specified in the cover letter.

 

Articles

These manuscripts, with a 7,000 word-equivalent limit, are original works of broad scientific significance. Originality is defined as new experimental data, new interpretations of existing data, or new theoretical analyses of phenomena. Significance will be judged with respect to the breadth of impact of the reported findings. Manuscripts that report data of a routine nature will not be accepted.

 

Viewpoints

These 1,000 word-equivalent maximum manuscripts are a type of written content that expresses the author's opinion on a particular topic or issue. Do not include an abstract, only 5-6 keywords, a short synopsis (~30 words) and a graphical abstract, plus the 1,000 words Viewpoint article on the subject under discussion. Viewpoints are inherently subjective, and they reflect the writer's personal views, beliefs, and interpretations. In a Viewpoint, the author often argues for or against a specific idea, policy, or position, and persuasive language and evidence maybe used to support their viewpoint offering diverse perspectives and encourage critical thinking among readers. Authors may be invited by the Editor to submit Viewpoints but unsolicited Viewpoints will be considered as well. Authors interested in submitting a Viewpoint are strongly encouraged to contact the Editor with a query prior to document preparation and submission: admin@resource.acs.org.

 

Note: Viewpoints are NOT peer-reviewed but are reviewed internally by at least 2 members of the Editorial team.

 

Perspectives

ACS Sustainable Resource Management welcomes perspectives from all researchers and practitioners of the field. Please read the detailed editorial in our sister journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering outlining our Expectations for Perspectives. Perspectives are thoroughly documented assessments of selected areas of the sustainable chemistry and engineering research literature. Perspectives go beyond reviewing a research topic and critique the reviewed literature in the context of sustainable chemistry and engineering: delineating research gaps, highlighting debate and disagreement, and emphasizing the remaining challenges. Perspectives should increase readers’ knowledge through discriminating comparisons and insightful organization of the material. These manuscripts are limited to 10,000 word-equivalents. Where appropriate, we encourage authors to consider assembling an international team with complementary aptitude or expertise to critically cover and assess the science, technology, and sustainability aspects of the reviewed topic. Criteria for acceptability include current importance of the field under review, thoroughness of the literature coverage, clarity, and clear identification of research needs. We strongly encourage authors to submit an outline document of their proposed Perspective to the Deputy Editor at admin@resource.acs.org for feedback prior to submitting a fully developed version of their manuscript. The proposal outline document should show clear evidence of the desired attributes stated this Editorial to solicit feedback that either encourages or discourages the submission of a full version of the Perspective manuscript. Note that encouragement to submit a full version does not guarantee its acceptance. Rather, it means that the submitted full version is more likely to be sent for external review if it possesses the requisite attributes and clearly addresses any feedback. All authors should note that the opportunity to provide feedback on a proposed Perspective prior to submission is reserved only for Perspectives and not for other manuscript types.

 

Letters to the Editor

Readers are encouraged to comment on all article types. Contributions are limited to 500 words + author affiliations. They should be submitted within 18 months of the ASAP publication date of the original material. The author(s) of the original material will be allowed to reply to Letters to the Editor, provided they do so rapidly

ACS Researcher Resources

While this document will provide basic information on how to prepare and submit the manuscript as well as other critical information about publishing, we also encourage authors to visit ACS Researcher Resources for additional information on everything that is needed to prepare (and review) manuscripts for ACS journals and partner journals, such as

Manuscript Preparation

Submit with Fast Format

All ACS journals and partner journals have simplified their formatting requirements in favor of a streamlined and standardized format for an initial manuscript submission. Read more about the requirements and the benefits these serves authors and reviewers here.

 

Manuscripts submitted for initial consideration must adhere to these standards:

  • Submissions must be complete with clearly identified standard sections used to report original research, free of annotations or highlights, and include all numbered and labeled components.
  • Figures, charts, tables, schemes, and equations should be embedded in the text at the point of relevance. Separate graphics can be supplied later at revision, if necessary.
  • When required by a journal's structure or length limitations, manuscript templates should be used.
  • References can be provided in any style, but they must be complete, including titles. For information about the required components of different reference types, please refer to the ACS Style Quick Guide.
  • Supporting Information must be submitted as a separate file(s).

Document Templates and Format

The templates facilitate the peer review process by allowing authors to place artwork and tables close to the point where they are discussed within the text. Learn more about document templates here.

 

General information on the preparation of manuscripts may also be found in the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication.

Acceptable Software, File Designations, and TeX/LaTeX

See the list of Acceptable Software and appropriate File Designations to be sure your file types are compatible with the submission system. Information for manuscripts generated from TeX/LaTeX is also available.

Cover Letter

A cover letter must accompany every manuscript submission. During the submission process, you may type it or paste it into the submission system, or you may attach it as a file.

 

The ACS Sustainable Resource Management cover letter must include:

  • A rationale for publication in the journal, which will be considered by the editors. Tell us why you think your manuscript is appropriate for publication in ACS Sustainable Resource Management, particularly with respect to its originality, scientific merit, and environmental importance.
  • Authors are strongly encouraged to describe how the research implements strategies to achieve the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals
  • Authors and their affiliations
  • Manuscript title
  • List of 5–8 keywords
  • For Letters manuscripts, specify if the first author is a doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow, as described in this Editorial for the Letters from Emerging Scholars initiative in our journal family
  • Contact information for all authors (mailing address, email address, and phone numbers where available)
  • Preprint disclosure details, if applicable (see Prior Publication Policy)
  • Compelling argument that exceeding the word limit is essential, if applicable (see Word Counts and Limits below)
  • Previous submission details and manuscript IDs, if applicable. Authors are encouraged to identify changes made to the manuscript in a cover letter for the journal.

Manuscript Text Components

The remarks that follow are most relevant to articles or letters but should be read by all authors. NOTE: Letters are not required to be divided into sections (e.g., Introduction, Results, etc.), but authors can include them if they wish.

 

Title

Use specific and informative titles. Titles should briefly convey the subject of the paper. For example, a 20-word title is too long. If trade names are used, give generic names in parentheses. Keywords in titles assist in effective literature search retrieval.

 

Authorship

List the first name, middle initial(s), and last name of each author. Omit professional and official titles. An author’s affiliation should be based on where they were when the work was performed. When the present address of an author is different, include the new information in a section labeled “Present Address” close to the Acknowledgments Section.

 

In papers with more than one author, the name of the Corresponding author, to whom post-publication inquiries should be addressed, carries an asterisk (*). Provide an e-mail address for the Corresponding author on the first page of the manuscript file and include telephone numbers, if possible. There should be no more than three corresponding authors per paper. If there is more than one Corresponding author, please provide the contact information (e-mail, phone) for each Corresponding author on a separate line under the affiliations on the first page.

 

The format of the author’s names and affiliations on the first page of the manuscript should be as follows: All author names should be in a row with the symbol used for their affiliation superscript to the right of their name.

Author 1†, Author 2‡, and Author 3†,‡

†Affiliation 1: Department, Institution, Street Address, City, State, Postal Code, Country

‡Affiliation 2: Department, Institution, Street Address, City, State, Postal Code, Country

 

Abstract

A 150–200-word abstract MUST accompany Letters, Articles, Perspectives, and Viewpoint article manuscripts. Describe the purpose, methods or procedures, significant new results, and conclusions. Do not break the abstract into sections. Define any abbreviations used in the abstract. Write for literature searches as well as journal readers. Include major quantitative data if they can be stated briefly, but do not include background material. Do not include reference numbers in the abstract. For Viewpoints, include an abstract written at a level comprehensible to the scientifically literate general public.

 

Keywords

All Articles, Letters, Perspectives, and Viewpoints must be accompanied by 5–8 keywords. Authors are encouraged to include keywords that do not appear in the title. Indicate the keywords in the cover letter as well as in the manuscript file.

 

Synopsis

A brief nontechnical synopsis (~20 words) explaining how your paper relates to sustainability in the chemistry and/or engineering fields is mandatory for Letters, Articles, Perspectives, and Viewpoints. The synopsis should be a complete sentence. The synopsis is NOT a description of the TOC/Abstract graphic.

 

Main Body

Divide the article into sections; three are often sufficient: Introduction, Experimental Section, and Results and Discussion. However, if other section titles are more relevant for the material, authors are encouraged to use alternatives. Do not number sections. Do not use footnotes; include the information in the text. Number all pages of the manuscript.

 

Introduction

Clearly state the purpose and significance of the research and put it into the context of earlier work in the area. Do not attempt a complete survey of the literature. If a recent article has summarized work on the subject, cite that article only and not the sources it cites. In general, the Introduction should be no more than two double-spaced pages without figures or tables and should include fewer than 20 references (except for Perspectives papers).

 

Experimental Section (Materials and Methods)

In this section, describe pertinent and critical factors involved in the experimental work but avoid excessive description. In many cases, details not essential for understanding the paper can be placed in the Supporting Information. Do not submit drawings of standard apparatus that can be succinctly described in the text. List and describe preparation of special reagents only. Omit details of procedures that are common knowledge to those in the field or that you have published previously. A brief mention of published procedures may be included; leave details to the literature cited. Authors must emphasize any unexpected, new, and/or significant hazards or risks associated with the reported work. This information should be in the experimental details section of the full article or communication.

 

Results and Discussion

Here you can discuss your findings, postulate explanations for data, elucidate models, and compare your results with those of others. Be complete but concise. Avoid irrelevant comparisons or contrasts, speculations unsupported by the new information presented in the paper, and verbose discussion. Results and Discussion may be combined or separated.

 

Nomenclature

Nomenclature should conform to current American usage. When possible, authors should use systematic names similar to those used by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) or IUPAC. Chemical Abstracts (CA) nomenclature rules are contained in Appendix IV of the current Chemical Abstracts Index Guide. The ACS website has links to nomenclature recommendations at www.acs.org. IUPAC recommended nomenclature is available at http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac.html. For CA nomenclature advice, contact answers@cas.org. Use SI units as much as possible; if you must use Imperial or U.S. units, place the SI equivalent in parentheses after the first use.

 

For specialized nomenclature, include a nomenclature section at the end of the paper, giving definitions and dimensions for all terms. We suggest that you provide the CAS numbers of less familiar compounds. If subscripts and superscripts are necessary, place them accurately. Avoid trivial names. Trade names should be defined at the point of first use (registered trade names should begin with a capital letter).

 

Formulas and Equations

Chemical formulas should correspond to the ACS Style Guide. Chemical equations should be balanced and numbered with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) consecutively along with mathematical equations. Mathematical arguments should be as brief as possible.

 

Acknowledgment

Include essential credits in an Acknowledgment section at the end of the text. Meeting presentation data or other information regarding the work reported are included here. Sources of financial support must be acknowledged.

 

References

Literature references must be numbered with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) in the order of their first citation in the text as superscript closed up to the last character and outside any punctuation marks. Each article, book, etc. cited in a manuscript should receive its own numeral. Compound references are not permitted. ACS highly prefers that the authors include Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) for references when a DOI is available.

Supporting Information

This information is provided to the reviewers during the peer-review process (for Review Only) and is available to readers of the published work (for Publication). Supporting Information must be submitted at the same time as the manuscript. See the list of Acceptable Software by File Designation and confirm that your Supporting Information is viewable.

 

If the manuscript is accompanied by any supporting information files for publication, these files will be made available free of charge to readers. A brief, nonsentence description of the actual contents of each file, including the file type extension, is required. This description should be labeled Supporting Information and should appear before the Acknowledgement and Reference sections.  Examples of sufficient and insufficient descriptions are as follows:

 

Examples of sufficient descriptions: “Supporting Information: 1H NMR spectra for all compounds (PDF)” or “Additional experimental details, materials, and methods, including photographs of experimental setup (DOC)”.

 

Examples of insufficient descriptions: “Supporting Information: Figures S1-S3” or “Additional figures as mentioned in the text”.

 

When including supporting information for review only, include copies of references that are unpublished or in-press. These files are available only to editors and reviewers.

Research Data Policy

All ACS journals strongly encourage authors to make the research data underlying their articles publicly available at the time of publication.

Research data is defined as materials and information used in the experiments that enable the validation of the conclusions drawn in the article, including primary data produced by the authors for the study being reported, secondary data reused or analyzed by the authors for the study, and any other materials necessary to reproduce or replicate the results.

The ACS Research Data Policy provides additional information on Data Availability Statements, Data Citation, and Data Repositories.

Data Requirements

Sustainability Metrics

The Editors wish to encourage authors to utilize quantitative sustainability metrics in their submitted work. General guidelines for authors wishing to incorporate quantitative metrics are as follows:

  • Whenever possible, place the contribution in the context of the life cycle or supply chain of the relevant product, process, or chemical function. Although a quantitative life cycle assessment will be beyond the scope of most manuscripts, framing the paper’s contribution in the context of product and process life cycles will be a valuable addition.
  • Cite or briefly describe relevant property data such as environmental persistence or toxicity.
  • In describing chemical pathways or processes, consider using metrics such as those associated with the principles of green chemistry, such as atom economy, mass efficiency, E-factor, C efficiency, emission rates, or others.
  • When using well-established sustainability metrics (e.g., atom economy), detailed methodological descriptions are not necessary; however, if novel metrics are used, the method of their calculation should be described in the manuscript or Supporting Information.
  • Authors who incorporate quantitative sustainability metrics are encouraged to highlight their results in the TOC/Abstract graphic.

 

Please refer to the Scope of the Journal section above for further discussion.

 

Data and Material Sharing for Reproducibility

A primary research report should contain sufficient detail and reference to public sources of information to permit the author's peers to repeat the work.

 

Sample Availability

When requested, the authors should make a reasonable effort to provide samples of unusual materials unavailable elsewhere, including, but not limited to, clones, microorganism strains, antibodies, computer codes, etc., to other researchers, with appropriate material transfer agreements to restrict the field of use of the materials so as to protect the legitimate interests of the authors.

 

Computer Codes

When computer codes are developed or used and are an essential part of a manuscript, sufficient detail must be given, either within the paper or in the Supporting Information. Types of languages that are used in the computer codes, compiler/interpreter, and operating system with a specific version must be provided or properly cited. Upon request, after appropriate transfer agreements to restrict use so as to protect the legitimate interests of the authors, codes and input data must be made available for others to validate the calculations. Whether the source code is open or closed source, it must be properly cited in the References.

 

Computational Chemistry Calculations

When computational chemistry calculations are performed, input data must be given either within the paper or in the Supporting Information, including force field parameters, equations defining the model (or references to where such material is available in the open literature), methods and approaches, and basis sets. If the software used for calculations is generally available, it must be properly cited in the References. References to the methods upon which the software is based must also be provided.

Language and Editing Services

A well-written paper helps share your results most clearly. ACS Publications’ English Editing Service is designed to help scientists communicate their research effectively. Our subject-matter expert editors will edit your manuscript for grammar, spelling, and other language errors so your ideas are presented at their best.

Preparing Graphics

The quality of illustrations in ACS journals and partner journals depends on the quality of the original files provided by the authors. Figures are not modified or enhanced by journal production staff. All graphics must be prepared and submitted in digital format.

 

Graphics should be inserted into the main body whenever possible. Please see Appendix 2 for additional information.

 

Any graphic (figure chart, scheme, or equation) that has appeared in an earlier publication should include a credit line citing the original source. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to re-use this material.

Figure and Illustration Services

The impact of your research is not limited to what you can express with words. Tables and figures such as graphs, photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and other visuals can play a significant role in effectively communicating your findings. Our Artwork Editing and Graphical Abstract services generate publication-ready figures and Table of Contents (TOC) graphics that conform to your chosen journal’s specifications. For figures, this includes changes to file type, resolution, color space, font, scale, line weights, and layout (to improve readability and professional appearance). For TOC graphics, our illustrators can work with a rough sketch or concept or help extract the key findings of your manuscript directly for use as a visual summary of your paper.

Preparing for Submission

Manuscripts, graphics, supporting information, and required forms, as well as manuscript revisions, must all be submitted in digital format through ACS Publishing Center, which requires an ACS ID to log in. Registering for an ACS ID is fast, free, and does not require an ACS membership. Please refer to Appendix 1 for additional information on preparing your submission

Prior Publication Policy

ACS Sustainable Resource Management authors are allowed to deposit an initial draft of their manuscript in a preprint service such as ChemRxiv, bioRxiv, arXiv prior to submission to the journal. However, authors must note any use of a preprint server in the cover letter and include a link to the preprint, and as appropriate, state how the manuscript has been adjusted/updated between deposition and submission. All other prior/redundant publication is forbidden.

 

 

Upon publication in ACS Sustainable Resource Management authors are advised to add a link from the preprint to the published paper via the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Some services, such as ChemRxiv and bioRxiv, add this link for authors automatically after publication.

Editorial Policies

Peer Review

All manuscripts submitted are reviewed and handled by the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor, and/or assigned to one of the Associate Editors. The Editor-in-Chief/Deputy Editor/Associate Editors and Editorial Assistants evaluate the content and format of the paper. Some manuscripts submitted to ACS Sustainable Resource Management are declined after review by an editor and they are not sent for external review. Common reasons for declining manuscripts at this initial stage include insufficient novelty, lack of sustainability relevance, failure to articulate the rationale for the study or results with respect to existing literature, insufficient quality of the data, measurement reports or case studies without significant scientific advances and technological innovations, or problems with the manuscript presentation (length limits, inadequate English, figure quality).

Manuscripts that meet editorial expectations are sent for external review to experts in the field. Associate editors select reviewers, monitor the progress of the review process, evaluate the comments of reviewers and forward them to the authors for their response, communicating ultimate acceptance or rejection to the corresponding author and carrying out a final check of accepted manuscripts.

Peer review is used to ensure the highest possible quality in published manuscripts. Scientists with expertise in the subject matter are invited to evaluate the submission for its originality, validity, significance and impact on the field and suitability to the ACS Sustainable Resource Management community. Typically, more than three reviewers are selected per manuscript on the basis of the subject matter, available expertise and the Editor’s knowledge of the subject area. Authors must also submit the names and addresses (including academic institution email addresses) of at least 4 potential reviewers who do not have conflicts of interest with the authors or manuscript content.  However, the Editors are under no obligation to use specific individuals. Reviewers are requested to provide their assessment within two to three weeks. Anonymous copies of the reviews and the Editor’s decision regarding the acceptability of the manuscript are sent to the corresponding author. If the reviewers’ evaluations of the manuscript disagree, or if reviewer’s and Editor’s comments are not satisfactorily addressed by the authors, the Editor may reject the manuscript or select additional reviewers to further assist in reaching a final decision on the manuscript.

The editors may exercise their prerogative to decline a manuscript after editorial review if that paper is judged to be outside the scope of ACS Sustainable Resource Management, is lacking in significance or impact, is poorly written or formatted, or is fragmentary and marginally incremental in its contribution.

The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate an external peer review is viewed as an ethical violation as it contravenes the ACS policy of full confidentiality in the peer review process. More information on how to conduct ethical peer review is available via the ACS Researcher Resources page.

Special Issues

Special issues are by invitation only. As you submit your manuscript for a special issue, please be certain to select the appropriate special issue title in the pull-down menu during the submission process.

 

Word Counts and Limits

The manuscript types in this journal will have specific word limits. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, word counts INCLUDE tables, figures, and schemes but not references.

  • Count all text except the title page, references, figure and table captions (captions are considered part of the figure or table), TOC/Abstract graphic, and synopsis. This includes the Abstract, the body of the manuscript, the Acknowledgments, and the description of Supporting Information. (Do not count the Supporting Information itself.)
  • To the text count, add the count for figures, schemes, and tables. Small figures, schemes, and tables usually count as 300 word equivalents; large figures, schemes, and tables count as 600 or more word equivalents. Table of Contents (TOC) and Abstract art (required for Letters, Articles, Viewpoints, Perspectives) are not included in the word count. For example, a research article with 6,000 words, excluding references, and containing four small figures is considered a 7,200 word article.
  • Manuscripts that exceed the word limit may be returned with a request to shorten. Authors who believe that exceeding the word limit is essential must include a compelling argument in their cover letter. Please note that this does not guarantee a decision in the author’s favor— ultimately, the decision lies with the Editor.
  • We note that manuscript text can often be shortened by 10% with no loss of context.

Place tables and figures that augment the article but are otherwise unessential to the major themes in Supporting Information (which is freely accessible on the Web).

Providing Potential Reviewer Names

Please suggest at least 4 reviewers. You may also include the names of people you do not want to review the paper. The Editors try to use at least one reviewer from your list and to comply with your special requests. However, this cannot be ensured. For example, specific reviewers may not be available at the time. Authors are encouraged to avoid suggesting reviewers from the authors’ institutions. Do not suggest reviewers who may have a real or perceived conflict of interest. Whenever possible, suggest academic email addresses rather than personal email addresses.

Manuscript Transfer

If your submission is declined for publication by this journal, the editors might deem your work to be better suited for another ACS Publications journal or partner journal and suggest that the authors consider transferring the submission. Manuscript Transfer simplifies and shortens the process of submitting to another ACS journal or partner journal, as all the coauthors, suggested reviewers, manuscript files, and responses to submission questions are copied to the new draft submission. Authors are free to accept or decline the transfer offer.

 

Note that each journal is editorially independent. Transferring a manuscript is not a guarantee that the manuscript will be accepted, as the final publication decision will belong to the editor of the next journal.

PRODUCTION AND PUBLICATION

Proofs via ACS Direct Correct

Correction of the galley proofs is the responsibility of the Corresponding Author. The Corresponding Author of an accepted manuscript will receive e-mail notification and complete instructions when page proofs are available for review via ACS Direct Correct. Extensive or important changes on page proofs, including changes to the title or list of authors, are subject to review by the editor.

 

It is the responsibility of the Corresponding Author to ensure that all authors listed on the manuscript agree with the changes made on the proofs. Galley proofs should be returned within 48 hours in order to ensure timely publication of the manuscript.

Publication Date and Patent Dates

Accepted manuscripts will be published on the ACS Publications Web site as soon as page proofs are corrected and all author concerns are resolved. The first date on which the document is published on the Web is considered the publication date.

 

Publication of manuscripts on the Web may occur weeks in advance of the cover date of the issue of publication. Authors should take this into account when planning their patent and intellectual property activities related to a document and should ensure that all patent information is available at the time of first publication, whether ASAP or issue publication.

 

All articles published ahead of print receive a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, which is used to cite the manuscript before and after the paper appears in an issue. Additionally, any supplemental information submitted along with the manuscript will automatically be assigned a DOI and hosted on Figshare to promote open data discoverability and use of your research outputs.

ASAP Publication

Manuscripts will be published on the “ASAP Articles” page on the web as soon as page proofs are corrected and all author concerns are resolved. ASAP publication usually occurs within a few working days of receipt of page proof corrections, which can be several weeks in advance of the cover date of the issue.

Post-Publication Policies

The American Chemical Society follows guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when considering any ethical concerns regarding a published article, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern.

Additions and Corrections

Additions and Corrections may be requested by the author(s) or initiated by the Editor to address important issues or correct errors and omissions of consequence that arise after publication of an article. All Additions and Corrections are subject to approval by the Editor, and should bring new and directly relevant information and corrections that fix scientific facts. Minor corrections and additions will not be published. Readers who detect errors of consequence in the work of others should contact the corresponding author of that work.

 

Additions and Corrections must be submitted as new manuscripts via the ACS Publishing Center by the Corresponding Author for publication in the “Addition/Correction” section of the Journal. The corresponding author should obtain approval from all coauthors prior to submitting or provide evidence that such approval has been solicited. The manuscript should include the original article title and author list, citation including DOI, and details of the correction.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted for scientific or ethical reasons and may be requested by the article author(s) or by the journal Editor(s), but are ultimately published at the discretion of the Editor. Articles that contain seriously flawed or erroneous data such that their findings and conclusions cannot be relied upon may be retracted in order to correct the scientific record. When an article is retracted, a notice of Retraction will be published containing information about the reason for the Retraction. The originally published article will remain online except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. where deemed legally necessary, or if the availability of the published content poses public health risks).

Expressions of Concern

Expressions of Concern may be issued at the discretion of the Editor if:

  • there is inconclusive evidence of research or publication misconduct by the authors;
  • there is evidence that the findings are unreliable but the authors’ institution will not investigate the case;
  • an investigation into alleged misconduct related to the publication either has not been, or would not be, fair and impartial or conclusive;
  • an investigation is underway but a judgment will not be available for a considerable time.

 

Upon completion of any related investigation, and when a final determination is made about the outcome of the article, the Expression of Concern may be replaced with a Retraction notice or Correction.

Sharing Your Published Article

At ACS Publications, we know it is important for you to be able to share your peer reviewed, published work with colleagues in the global community of scientists. As sharing on sites known as scholarly collaboration networks (SCNs) is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s scholarly research ecosystem, we would like to remind you of the many ways in which you, a valued ACS author, can share your published work.

 

Publishing open access makes it easy to share your work with friends, colleagues, and family members. In addition, ACS Publications makes it easy to share your newly published research with ACS Articles on Request (see below). Don’t forget to promote your research and related data on social media, at conferences, and through scholarly communication networks. Increase the impact of your research using the following resources: Altmetrics, Figshare, ACS Certified Deposit

E-Prints

When your article is published in an ACS journal or partner journal, corresponding authors are provided with a link that offers up to 50 free digital prints of the final published work. This link is valid for the first 12 months following online publication, and can be shared via email or an author’s website. After one year, the access restrictions to your article will be lifted, and you can share the Articles on Request URL on social media and other channels. To access all your Articles on Request links, log in to your ACS Researcher Resources account and visit the “My Published Manuscripts” page.

Reprints

Article, journal, and commercial reprints are available to order.

Appendix 1: PREPARING FOR SUBMISSION

We’ve developed ACS’ publishing and editorial policies in consultation with the research communities that we serve, including authors and librarians. Browse our policies below to learn more.

Ethical Guidelines

ACS editors have provided Ethical Guidelines for persons engaged in the publication of chemical research—specifically, for editors, authors, and reviewers. Each journal also has a specific policy on prior publication.

OFAC Compliance

As a U.S.-based non-profit organization, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is required to comply with U.S. sanctions laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While these laws and regulations permit U.S.-based publishers like ACS to engage in publishing-related activities with authors located in sanctioned regions in many cases, ACS may be prohibited under U.S. law from engaging in publishing-related activities in some cases, including, but not limited to, instances where an author or the institution with which an author is affiliated is located in a particular sanctioned region or has been designated by OFAC as a Specially Designated National (SDN) pursuant to certain U.S. sanctions programs. ACS reserves the right to refrain from engaging in any publishing-related activities that ACS determines in its sole discretion may be in violation of U.S. law.

 

Safety Considerations

Authors must emphasize any unexpected, new, and/or significant hazards or risks associated with the reported work. This information should be in the Experimental Section of a full article and included in the main text of a communication or letter. Statement examples can be found in the Safety Statement Style Sheet and additional information on communicating safety information from the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication is freely available here.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

A statement describing any financial conflicts of interest or lack thereof is published in each ACS journal and partner journal article.

 

During the submission process, the Corresponding Author must provide a statement on behalf of all authors of the manuscript, describing all potential sources of bias, including affiliations, funding sources, and financial or management relationships, that may constitute conflicts of interest. If the manuscript is accepted, the statement will be published in the final article.

 

If the manuscript is accepted and no conflict of interest has been declared, the following statement will be published in the final article: “The authors declare no competing financial interest.”

Plagiarism

In publishing only original research, ACS is committed to deterring plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. ACS Publications uses CrossCheck's iThenticate software to screen submitted manuscripts for similarity to published material. Note that your manuscript may be screened during the submission process.

 

Further information about plagiarism can be found in Part B of the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. See also the press release regarding ACS' participation in the CrossCheck initiative.

Authorship, Author List, and Coauthor Notification

Authors are required to obtain the consent of all their coauthors prior to submitting a manuscript. The submitting author accepts the responsibility of notifying all coauthors that the manuscript is being submitted.

 

During manuscript submission, the submitting author must provide contact information (full name, email address, institutional affiliation, and mailing address) for all of the coauthors. Because all of the author names are automatically imported into the electronic Journal Publishing Agreement, the names must be entered into the submission system. (Note that coauthors are not required to register in the ACS Publishing Center.) Author affiliation should reflect where the work was completed, even if the author has since left that institution. Authors may include a note with a current address if their institution has changed since the work was completed.

 

To expedite the processing of your manuscript, please format your author and affiliation information according the guidelines in this document.

Criteria for authorship can be found in Part B of the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools do not qualify for authorship. As non-person entities, these tools can neither take responsibility for published content, nor can they assent to co-authorship. The use of AI tools for text or image generation should be disclosed in the manuscript within the Acknowledgments section with a description of when and how the tools were used. For more substantial use cases or descriptions of AI tool use, authors should provide full details within the Methods or other appropriate section of the manuscript. The authors of the work are responsible for all submitted content and agree upon submission that generated content from AI tools is appropriate, both scientifically and based on the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. For more information on use of AI, please review the ACS AI Best Practices and Policy.

 

Any changes to the authorship after initial submission require the completion of an authorship change form. Confirmation that all authors (including those being added or removed) agree to the changes is required via the signed form. Please note that exceptions will not be made for large authorship lists and/or large numbers of changes. Authors must also provide a reason for each change and should explain how any added co-author(s) meet the authorship criteria as defined in the Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chemical Research. Authorship changes are subject to editorial approval and insufficient and/or inappropriate reasons for changes may result in manuscript rejection. In general, the addition of new authors will be deemed inappropriate unless fully explained and justified in the context of their scientific contributions to the work. Authorship changes post-acceptance will generally not be considered except in rare circumstances with full justification. For more information, please refer to the Authorship Changes section of the Authorship Guidance & Policies.

Authors with a single name: If you, or any of your coauthors, have only one name, please follow these steps for proper submission to the ACS Publishing Center:

  1. First (Given) Name Field: Enter an asterisk (*) into the "First (Given) Name" field.
  2. Last (Family) Name Field: Enter your single name into the "Last (Family) Name" field.

If your paper is accepted, the asterisk (*) will be removed from the published version of the paper.

 

 

Patent Activities and Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all patent activities and intellectual property issues are satisfactorily resolved prior to first publication (ASAP or in issue). Acceptance and publication will not be delayed for pending or unresolved issues of this nature.

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

Authors submitting manuscript revisions are required to provide their own personal, validated ORCID iD before completing the submission, if an ORCID iD is not already associated with their ACS Publishing Center user profiles. This ID may be provided during original manuscript submission or when submitting the manuscript revision. All authors are strongly encouraged to register for an ORCID iD, a unique researcher identifier. The ORCID iD will be displayed in the published article for any author on a manuscript who has a validated ORCID iD associated with ACS when the manuscript is accepted.

 

ORCID iDs should not be typed into the manuscript. ACS publishes only those ORCID iDs that have been properly verified and linked before the manuscript is accepted. After your ORCID iD is linked, it will be displayed automatically in all subsequently accepted manuscripts for any/all ACS journals. We do not publish ORCID iDs provided during proof review or via other communications after a manuscript is accepted for publication.

 

With an ORCID iD, you can create a profile of your research activities to distinguish yourself from other researchers with similar names, and make it easier for your colleagues to find your publications. If you do not yet have an ORCID iD, or you wish to associate your existing ORCID iD with your ACS Publishing Center account, you may do so by clicking on “Profile” from your ACS Publishing Center dashboard and following the ORCID-related links. Learn more at www.orcid.org.

To obtain forms and guidelines for completing the Journal Publishing Agreement or obtaining permissions from copyright owners, and to explore a Copyright Learning Module for chemists, click here.

Funder Reporting Requirement

Authors are required to report funding sources and grant/award numbers. Enter ALL sources of funding for ALL authors in BOTH the Funder Registry Tool in the submission system and in your manuscript to meet this requirement.

Open Access Compliance

ACS offers options by which authors can fulfill the requirements for open access and deposition into repositories for funded research. Visit our ACS Open Science site to see how to fulfill requirements for specific funders and to find out if you are eligible to publish under a Read + Publish agreement between ACS and your institution. You can also find out more about Open Access Compliance and ACS Open Science initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

During manuscript submission, ACS journal authors have the option to submit a statement sharing information related to diversity and inclusion that is relevant for their paper. If supplying a diversity and inclusion statement, the corresponding author must provide this on behalf of all authors of the manuscript during the submission process. These statements include but are not limited to analysis of citation diversity and acknowledgment of indigenous land on which research was conducted. Statements expressing political beliefs are not permitted and may be removed by the journal office. All statements are subject to final review by the Editor.

  • Citation Diversity Statement:The citation diversity statement should appear in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. ACS recommends including the following: (1) the importance of citation diversity, (2) the proportion of citations by gender and race/ethnicity for the first and last authors, (3) the method used to determine those proportions and its limitations, and (4) steps taken by the authors to improve citation diversity in the article. We recognize that one limitation of the current methods is that it cannot account for intersex, non-binary, and transgender people, or Indigenous and mixed-race authors. (Adapted from BMES/Springer Guidelines)
  • Land acknowledgment:The land acknowledgment statement should appear in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. The statement should link to the institutions’ formal land acknowledgments on which the research took place, if possible. Further guidance for creating these statements can be found here: https://nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/.

 

Appendix 2: Preparing Graphics

Resolution

Digital graphics pasted into manuscripts should have the following minimum resolutions:

  • Black and white line art, 1200 dpi
  • Grayscale art, 600 dpi
  • Color art, 300 dpi

Size

Graphics must fit a one- or two-column format. Single-column graphics can be sized up to 240 points wide (3.33 in.) and double-column graphics must be sized between 300 and 504 points (4.167 in. and 7 in.). The maximum depth for all graphics is 660 points (9.167 in.) including the caption (allow 12 pts. For each line of caption text). Lettering should be no smaller than 4.5 points in the final published format. The text should be legible when the graphic is viewed full-size. Helvetica or Arial fonts work well for lettering. Lines should be no thinner than 0.5 point.

Color

Color may be used to enhance the clarity of complex structures, figures, spectra, and schemes, etc., and color reproduction of graphics is provided at no additional cost to the author. Graphics intended to appear in black and white or grayscale should not be submitted in color.

Avoid relying on color alone to represent information. Use indicators such as symbols, text labels, or patterns to ensure the data is accessible to those with color vision deficiency or other visual conditions. If color is necessary to understand data, such as in heat maps or fluorescence images, choose accurate and accessible color combinations. For additional guidance and suggested color schemes, see How to Make Scientific Figures Accessible to Readers with Color-Blindness and Coloring Chemistry—How Mindful Color Choices Improve Chemical Communication.

Ensure the content within graphics has sufficient contrast against adjacent colors, including the background. Contrast ratios measure the difference in brightness between two adjacent colors, helping make text and images readable. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define minimum contrast requirements of 4.5:1 for text and 3:1 for nontext elements, with some exceptions for elements like large text.

Two tools to measure contrast are TPGi’s Colour Contrast Analyzer and Web Accessibility in Mind’s Contrast Checker. To improve low contrast, increase the saturation of one of the colors, or use borders or other visual separators between adjacent colors. For additional information and examples, see Color to convey meaning and Choosing color in data visualizations in the ACS Inclusivity Style Guide.

Type of Graphics

Table of Contents (TOC)/Abstract Graphic

Consult the Guidelines for Table of Contents/Abstract Graphics for specifications.

Our team of subject-matter experts and graphical designers can also help generate a compelling TOC graphic to convey your key findings. Learn more about our Graphical Abstract service.

Figures

A caption giving the figure number and a brief description must be included below each figure. The caption should be understandable without reference to the text. It is preferable to place any key to symbols used in the artwork itself, not in the caption. Ensure that any symbols and abbreviations used in the text agree with those in the artwork.

Charts

Charts (groups of structures that do not show reactions) may have a brief caption describing their contents.

Tables

Each table must have a brief (one phrase or sentence) title that describes the contents. The title should be understandable without reference to the text. Details should be put in footnotes, not in the title. Tables should be used when the data cannot be presented clearly in the narrative, when many numbers must be presented, or when more meaningful inter-relationships can be conveyed by the tabular format. Tables should supplement, not duplicate, information presented in the text and figures. Tables should be simple and concise, so avoid merging or splitting cells.

Schemes

Each scheme (sequences of reactions) may have a brief caption describing its contents.

Chemical Structures

Chemical structures should be produced with the use of a drawing program such as ChemDraw.

Cover Art

ACS Sustainable Resource Managementl authors are encouraged to submit images to be considered for use on the journal’s front cover or Supplementary Covers at the time of the submission of their revised manuscript. If your article is accepted for publication, your suggestion may also be selected for use on one of the journal’s covers. If your art is selected for front cover, ACS will send you information about how to request one complimentary 18” by 24” printed poster featuring your work. Images chosen for the front cover will be published at no cost to the author.

 

Your cover image submissions should be colorful and visually engaging, with minimal text. The cover image should not resemble a graphical abstract or data figure, but rather should be an artistic and scientifically accurate representation of the manuscript.

 

Image files should be submitted as TIF, JPG, PNG, or EPS files (not PDF or PPT) with a resolution of at least 300 dpi for pixel-based images. Cover art should be 8.19 inches (20.8 cm) wide × 10.00 inches (25.4 cm) high at 300 ppi, and submission of “layered” artwork is encouraged. The journal’s logo will obscure the top 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) of the image. Authors should submit the cover image, along with a short (<50-word), clear legend explaining the image, as supplementary files to the ACS Publishing Center with their revised manuscript. Any use of AI tools must comply with ACS Artificial Intelligence Best Practices and be disclosed in the cover caption. For any questions about AI use in cover art, please contact ACSPubsMultimedia@acs.org.

 

If you wish to be considered only for the front cover, and not a paid supplementary cover, please respond NO accordingly to the Supplementary Cover Art question in the submission system. For more information on the Supplementary Covers program, please see the Supplementary Cover Art webpage. All art submitted for consideration for a supplementary cover will also be considered for a front cover.

Web Enhanced Objects (WEO)

The Web editions of ACS journals allow readers to view multimedia attachments such as animations and movies that complement understanding of the research being reported.

 

WEOs should be uploaded in the submission system with ‘Web Enhanced Object’ selected as the file designation. Consult the list of compatible WEO formats.

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