Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
ChemSusChem is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Wiley-VCH on behalf of Chemistry Europe, dedicated to sustainable chemistry, green catalysis, and renewable energy materials. Operating since 2008, the journal serves as a key international forum for chemical and materials research addressing environmental sustainability, energy storage, and resource efficiency.
This guide provides researchers with an operational overview of ChemSusChem, outlining its editorial scope, bibliographic parameters, submission workflow, and comparative standing.
What it is
ChemSusChem (print ISSN 1864-5631, online ISSN 1864-564X) is a biweekly scientific journal focused on chemical solutions for environmental sustainability. Cataloged in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) under NLM ID 101319536, it is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), and Scopus.
In the Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI), the journal is registered under the abbreviation ChemSusChem and CODEN CHEMIZ. First published in 2008 (Volume 1, Issue 1/2) in Weinheim, Germany, the publication was created to provide a dedicated venue for multidisciplinary sustainable chemistry.
The journal publishes four primary article types:
- Full Research Articles: Detailed reports of complete original investigations.
- Communications: Short, urgent discoveries warranting rapid publication.
- Reviews and Minireviews: Concise or comprehensive overviews analyzing emerging trends.
- Concepts: Forward-looking discussions presenting emerging conceptual frameworks.
Published papers receive a persistent Crossref DOI to maintain long-term archival stability and discovery.
Who runs it and what it covers
ChemSusChem is published by Wiley-VCH on behalf of Chemistry Europe, an association of 16 European chemical societies (including the German GDCh, the Italian Societa Chimica Italiana, and the Dutch KNCV), working alongside partner societies in the Asian Chemical Editorial Society. Editorial operations are directed by professional in-house editors supported by an international advisory board.
The journal’s scope bridges fundamental chemistry with sustainability criteria aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Sustainable Catalysis: Heterogeneous, homogeneous, biocatalytic, and electrocatalytic systems designed to lower activation barriers and eliminate toxic reagents.
- Energy Storage and Conversion: Battery chemistry (lithium-ion, sodium-ion, solid-state), fuel cells, supercapacitors, and water electrolysis.
- Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCUS): Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into fuels, chemical intermediates, and circular polymers.
- Biomass Conversion: Valorization of agricultural waste, forestry residues, and lignocellulose into platform chemicals.
- Green Solvents and Synthesis: Application of water, deep eutectic solvents, ionic liquids, and supercritical fluids in atom-efficient routes.
- Waste Upcycling: Chemical recycling processes and circular material lifecycle optimization.
Crossref records catalog over 10,780 DOIs for ChemSusChem, publishing approximately 900 to 1,050 papers annually. Submissions require quantitative sustainability benchmarking: authors must substantiate environmental, energetic, or material improvements over incumbent methods.
How to search or use it
Publishing in or consulting ChemSusChem involves navigating Wiley Online Library and the Wiley Research Exchange portal. Authors follow a seven-step sequence:
- Searching Literature on Wiley Online Library: Access the ChemSusChem repository on Wiley Online Library. Search articles by keyword, author, DOI, or volume, using filters to locate full-text HTML and PDF files.
- Scoping Article Alignment: Confirm that the research centers on sustainability, energy, or green chemistry. Select the article type (Full Article, Communication, Review, or Concept) matching your findings.
- Compiling Quantitative Sustainability Data: Prepare data demonstrating measurable environmental advantages. Reviewers expect quantifiable comparisons against incumbent technologies, including atom economy, turnover numbers (TON), and solvent recovery rates.
- Formatting Manuscripts and Grouped References: Structure text, figures, and schemes following Chemistry Europe guidelines. References must follow the Chemistry Europe style: numbered superscript in-text citations linked to grouped bibliography entries (e.g., [1] a), [1] b)) with official CASSI abbreviations.
- Preparing Supporting Information: Compile characterization data (such as 1H/13C NMR spectra, mass spectrometry, and crystallographic CIF files) into a separate Supporting Information PDF to substantiate compound purity.
- Submitting Through Wiley Research Exchange: Upload manuscript files, graphical abstracts, and disclosures via the Wiley Research Exchange portal using ORCID credentials. Authors may nominate preferred and non-preferred peer reviewers.
- Selecting the Publishing Model: Upon acceptance, select between traditional subscription publishing (no author fee) or Gold Open Access under an Article Processing Charge (APC) of approximately $4,550 to $4,730 USD. Institutional transformative agreements (such as Project DEAL) cover these fees for eligible authors.
Strengths and limits
ChemSusChem offers notable advantages alongside practical constraints:
Strengths:
- Scholarly Backing: Society ownership via Chemistry Europe and Wiley-VCH ensures broad academic visibility and institutional prestige.
- Multi-Database Indexing: Full indexing in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus provides high visibility (h-index of 242 and over 448,000 citations in OpenAlex).
- Rigorous Quality Standards: Rigorous peer review guarantees experimental reliability and substantiated green claims.
- Hybrid Accessibility: Subscription publishing remains available at zero author cost alongside supported open-access pathways.
Limits:
- Competitive Bar: Strict review yields high desk-rejection rates for manuscripts lacking quantitative sustainability data.
- Open-Access Cost: The hybrid APC (over $4,500 USD) represents a major cost for authors lacking institutional support.
- Specialized Focus: Studies focusing purely on standard organic synthesis without sustainability relevance are typically redirected.
Alternatives
Researchers can evaluate several alternative journals specializing in green chemistry and energy materials:
| Journal Name | Publisher | Model & APC | Thematic Scope | Key Distinguishing Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChemSusChem | Wiley-VCH / Chemistry Europe | Hybrid (Sub: $0 / OA: ~$4,550-$4,730) | Sustainable chemistry, green catalysis, renewable energy | Chemistry Europe flagship requiring quantitative sustainability benchmarking |
| Green Chemistry | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | Hybrid (Sub: $0 / OA: ~$4,250) | Core green chemistry principles, alternative solvents | Focus on the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and zero-waste synthesis |
| ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering | American Chemical Society (ACS) | Hybrid (Sub: $0 / OA: ~$4,500) | Sustainable chemical engineering, bio-based chemicals | Strong emphasis on continuous processing, engineering, and scale-up |
| Energy & Environmental Science | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | Hybrid (Sub: $0 / OA: ~$4,250) | Energy conversion, storage systems, clean technology | High-impact tier focusing on paradigm-shifting energy breakthroughs |
| Journal of Materials Chemistry A | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | Hybrid (Sub: $0 / OA: ~$3,500) | Functional materials for energy and sustainability | High-volume materials platform across battery and solar research |
Researchers assessing journal standards can consult broader analyses of discipline metrics, such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society Impact Factor profile, or review how platforms manage rigorous evaluation in our Scientific Reports peer review evaluation. Verifying the reliability of peer-reviewed references helps authors cite validated experimental data, while computational chemists can integrate chemical databases like ChEMBL into their design pipelines.
FAQ
What is the official abbreviation for ChemSusChem?
The official ISO 4 and NLM title abbreviation is ChemSusChem. CASSI also indexes the title as ChemSusChem with CODEN CHEMIZ.
What is the impact factor of ChemSusChem?
In Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (JCR), ChemSusChem has historically recorded a Journal Impact Factor (JIF) between 5.9 and 6.6, with a 5-Year Impact Factor of 7.7. In the OpenAlex academic registry, the journal maintains a 2-year mean citedness of 6.27 and an h-index of 242.
Is ChemSusChem open access?
ChemSusChem is a hybrid journal. Authors can publish under the subscription model with no author fees, or select Gold Open Access under an APC of approximately $4,550 to $4,730 USD. Transformative agreements cover these fees for authors at eligible institutions.
Is ChemSusChem indexed in MEDLINE and PubMed?
Yes. ChemSusChem is cataloged under NLM ID 101319536 and is indexed in MEDLINE, with citations and abstracts indexed in PubMed.
What reference style is used by ChemSusChem?
The journal utilizes the Chemistry Europe reference style, featuring numbered superscript in-text citations linked to grouped bibliography entries (e.g., [1] a), [1] b)) with CASSI journal abbreviations.
Sources
- National Library of Medicine (NLM) Catalog: ChemSusChem Record (NLM ID 101319536, print ISSN 1864-5631, online ISSN 1864-564X). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101319536. Read 2026-11-08.
- Crossref API Metadata Registry: ChemSusChem Publication and Deposit Profile (ISSN 1864-564X). https://api.crossref.org/journals/1864-564X. Read 2026-11-08.
- OpenAlex Academic Metadata Registry: ChemSusChem Source Profile and Bibliometrics (Source s71186716, ISSN 1864-564X). https://api.openalex.org/sources?filter=issn:1864-564X. Read 2026-11-08.
- Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI): ChemSusChem Bibliographic Details (CODEN CHEMIZ, ISSN 1864-564X). https://cassi.cas.org/. Read 2026-11-08.
