ACS Central Science: Scope, Model & Search Guide

ACS Central Science is the premier multidisciplinary, fully open-access journal published by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Launched in 2015 as the first open-access title in the ACS portfolio, it publishes high-impact research across chemistry and allied chemical interfaces. Operating under a Diamond Open Access model, the American Chemical Society covers all publishing and production costs: authors pay zero article processing charges (APCs), and readers receive immediate, unrestricted access worldwide.

What it is

ACS Central Science is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal showcasing transformative breakthroughs in the chemical sciences. It holds the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Seal, recognizing standards of open access, transparent editorial review, and long-term digital preservation.

The journal operates under the following verified administrative parameters:

Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS Publications), Washington, DC.
Access Model: Diamond Open Access (no submission fees, page charges, or APCs).
Launch Date: Volume 1, Issue 1 published on March 25, 2015.
ISSN: Electronic ISSN 2374-7951; Print ISSN 2374-7943.
NLM Catalog Identifier: NLM Unique ID 101660035; MEDLINE / ISO abbreviation ACS Cent Sci.
Licensing: Creative Commons licensing, predominantly CC BY 4.0, permitting unrestricted sharing and adaptation with attribution.
Digital Archiving: Permanent preservation in PubMed Central (PMC) and Portico.
Crossref DOIs: Registered under prefix 10.1021/acscentsci, following standard DOI link prefix and structure rules.

Who runs it and what it covers

The journal is governed by ACS Publications with editorial leadership directed by active researchers. The founding and current Editor-in-Chief is Dr. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and 2022 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Dr. Bertozzi leads an international editorial board spanning chemistry, chemical biology, and materials science.

The scope of ACS Central Science focuses on multidisciplinary primary research where chemical mechanisms address foundational scientific questions. Unlike specialized sub-discipline venues, it prioritizes work with broad implications across disciplines. Core areas include:

Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry: Bioorthogonal transformations, molecular probes, diagnostics, and targeted delivery mechanisms.
Materials Science and Nanoscience: Functional polymers, framework materials, nanomaterials, and biomaterials.
Energy and Catalysis: Sustainable catalysts, battery chemistry, solar energy conversion, and green synthesis.
Environmental Chemistry: Atmospheric processes, contaminant tracking, and circular chemical cycles.
Computational Chemistry: Molecular simulations, reaction modeling, and machine learning discovery tools.

In addition to research articles, the journal publishes Reviews, Perspectives, and First Reactions (short commentaries addressing newly published studies).

In citation indexing, ACS Central Science holds a Clarivate Two-Year Journal Impact Factor of 11.1, a Five-Year Impact Factor of 14.2, and a Scopus CiteScore of 14.9, placing it in the top quartile (Q1) for multidisciplinary chemistry. Researchers comparing these figures can consult our comparative guide on CiteScore, SJR, and citation metrics as well as our overview of authoritative journal impact factor rankings.

Editorial operations enforce single-anonymous peer review, where reviewers evaluate author manuscripts anonymously. DOAJ data records an average timeframe of 14 weeks from submission to publication. All manuscripts undergo automated similarity checks via Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate). Researchers evaluating scholarly evidence can reference our criteria on identifying peer-reviewed references.

How to search or use it

Researchers can locate and retrieve research directly through the ACS Publications platform interface:

Access the journal portal: Navigate to pubs.acs.org/journal/acscii to view current issue contents, ASAP articles, and thematic collections.
Use the search bar: Locate the search input at the top of the portal. Select “In this journal” from the dropdown to focus queries strictly on ACS Central Science.
Open Advanced Search: Click the “Advanced Search” link directly beneath the search field to enter the multi-field query builder.
Apply search criteria: Enter topic terms in “Title/Abstract” or “Anywhere”, specify researcher names in “Author”, and restrict dates by year or custom ranges using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
Filter results by facet: On the results screen, use the left-hand facets to filter by “Article Type” (Research Article, Review, Perspective, First Reaction) or subject category, and sort by “Relevance” or “Publication Date”.
Download open-access full text: Open any article page and click “PDF” or “Full Text”. Because the journal is Diamond Open Access, content downloads immediately with no paywall, institutional login, or personal account required.

Strengths and limits

Strengths:

Universal Diamond Open Access: Authors pay $0 in APCs, removing financial barriers for unfunded researchers while satisfying funder mandates such as Plan S and NIH Public Access.
High Editorial Prestige: Led by Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, the journal maintains high scientific rigor and broad citation visibility across chemistry, biology, and materials.
Author Rights: CC BY 4.0 licenses permit unrestricted data reuse, institutional archiving, and coursepack distribution.
Preprint Support: Submissions previously shared on preprint servers such as ChemRxiv or bioRxiv are welcomed; explore preprint dynamics in our ChemRxiv vs. bioRxiv preprint server comparison.

Limits:

Extreme Selectivity: With a curated annual volume of roughly 200 to 300 articles, acceptance rates are low, and studies lacking interdisciplinary significance are routinely declined.
Narrow Specialized Work Excluded: Incremental synthetic optimizations or localized analytical reports without broader chemical relevance are redirected to specialized ACS titles.
Review Turnaround: The comprehensive multi-stage review averages 14 weeks from submission to publication, which is longer than rapid-communication note formats.

Alternatives

Researchers comparing high-impact chemistry venues can evaluate ACS Central Science against comparable journals:

Journal	Publisher	Access Model	Author APC Fee	Scope Focus	Review Turnaround
ACS Central Science	American Chemical Society	Diamond Open Access	$0 (Subsidized by ACS)	High-impact multidisciplinary chemistry and cross-discipline interfaces	~14 weeks average
Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS)	American Chemical Society	Hybrid Open Access	$0 for subscription; ~$4,500+ for OA option	Premier comprehensive chemistry across all sub-disciplines	~8-12 weeks average
Chemical Science	Royal Society of Chemistry	Diamond Open Access	$0 (Subsidized by RSC)	Flagship general chemistry across all chemical fields	~10-12 weeks average
Nature Chemistry	Springer Nature	Hybrid Open Access	$0 for subscription; ~$11,000+ for OA option	High-profile chemical research across chemistry and allied fields	~12-16 weeks average
Angewandte Chemie International Edition	GDCh / Wiley-VCH	Hybrid Open Access	$0 for subscription; ~$4,800+ for OA option	Global communications, research articles, and reviews	~8-12 weeks average

FAQ

What is the impact factor of ACS Central Science?

ACS Central Science holds a Two-Year Journal Impact Factor of 11.1 and a Five-Year Impact Factor of 14.2 in Clarivate Journal Citation Reports. Its Scopus CiteScore is 14.9, placing it in the top quartile (Q1) of multidisciplinary chemistry journals.

What are the publication fees for ACS Central Science?

Publication is completely free. As a Diamond Open Access journal, all editorial and production costs are underwritten by the American Chemical Society. Authors pay $0 in Article Processing Charges (APCs), submission fees, or color charges.

How does ACS Central Science differ from JACS?

Both are flagship journals of the American Chemical Society, but they differ in model and volume. JACS is a large-volume hybrid journal publishing thousands of papers yearly across all chemistry branches. ACS Central Science is a smaller, highly selective Diamond Open Access journal publishing 200 to 300 articles annually with a distinct focus on interdisciplinary interfaces such as chemical biology, medicine, and energy materials.

Is ACS Central Science indexed in Scopus and PubMed?

Yes. The journal is indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed Central (PMC), DOAJ, and CAS. Published articles are deposited in PubMed Central for public access.

What license does ACS Central Science use for published research?

Articles are published under Creative Commons licenses, primarily CC BY 4.0. Authors retain copyright while permitting global reuse, distribution, and adaptation with appropriate attribution.

Can authors post preprints to ChemRxiv before submitting to ACS Central Science?

Yes. The American Chemical Society allows authors to share preprints on non-commercial servers including ChemRxiv, bioRxiv, and arXiv prior to submission without compromising novelty.

Sources

American Chemical Society (ACS Publications). “About ACS Central Science: Aims and Scope.” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://pubs.acs.org/page/acscii/about.html
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). “ACS Central Science Journal Details (ISSN: 2374-7951).” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://doaj.org/toc/2374-7951
U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). “NLM Catalog: ACS central science (NLM ID: 101660035).” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101660035
Crossref. “Journal Metadata Record for ACS Central Science (ISSN: 2374-7951).” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://api.crossref.org/journals/2374-7951
ACS Open Science. “Open Access Pricing and Sponsoring Guidelines.” Accessed 2026-11-09. https://acsopenscience.org/researchers/oa-pricing/