American Chemical Society (ACS) citation format is used in the 51 scholarly journals the society publishes, but also for citing in some other scientific disciplines.
In-text citations can be presented as superscript numbers, italic numbers in parentheses, or author name and publication year. Use the target journal’s format consistently throughout the manuscript.
...references to the literature should be numbered in a consecutive series by order of appearance in the text.
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| journal article | Tan, G. Y.; Das, M.; Keum, H.; Bellotti, P.; Daniliuc, C.; Glorius, F. Photochemical single-step synthesis of β-amino acid derivatives from alkenes and (hetero)arenes. Nature Chemistry 2022, 14 (10), 1174−1184. DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01008-w |
| journal article title with a subtitle | Yang, J. T.; Zhou, Y.; Guo, Q. L.; Dedkov, Y.; Voloshina, E. Electronic, magnetic and optical properties of MnPX3 (X = S, Se) monolayers with and without chalcogen defects: A first-principles study. RSC Advances 2020, 10 (2), 851−864. DOI: 10.1039/C9RA09030D |
| journal article with article number | Westermayr, J.; Gastegger, M.; Schütt, K. T.; Maurer, R. J. Perspective on integrating machine learning into computational chemistry and materials science. Journal of Chemical Physics 2021, 154 (23), 230903. DOI: 10.1063/5.0047760 |
| article with one-word journal title | Hanikel, N.; Pei, X. K.; Chheda, S.; Lyu, H.; Jeong, W.; Sauer, J.; Gagliardi, L.; Yaghi, O. M. Evolution of water structures in metal-organic frameworks for improved atmospheric water harvesting. Science 2021, 374 (6566), 454−459. DOI: 10.1126/science.abj0890 |
| journal article early publication (article ASAP) | Cheng, S.; Xu, Y.; Kang, M.; Zhu, W.; Wang, L.; Fu, P. Aurovertins from a Marine-Derived Penicillium Species and Nonenzymatic Reactions in Their Formation. Journal of Natural Products 2025, ASAP Article. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c01436 |
| preprint | Deysher, G.; Oh, J. A. S.; Chen, Y.-T.; Sayahpour, B.; Ham, S.-Y.; Cheng, D.; Ridley, P.; Cronk, A.; Lin, S. W.-H.; Qian, K.; Nguyen, L. H. B.; Jang, J.; Meng, Y. S. An Anode-Free Sodium All-Solid-State Battery, Ver. 1. ChemRxiv, November 23, 2023. DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-tkcd9 |
| journal article from an aggregator database | Lynch, P.; Hasbrouck, C.; Wilck, J.; Kay, M.; Manogharan, G. Challenges and opportunities to integrate the oldest and newest manufacturing processes: metal casting and additive manufacturing. Rapid Prototyping Journal 2020, 26 (6), 1145−1154 (retrieved from ProQuest Materials Science & Engineering Collection). DOI: 10.1108/RPJ-10-2019-0277 |
| special journal issue with a collection of related articles | Research at HBCUs. Accounts of Chemical Research 2023, 56 (11), 1251−1357 (special issue). https://pubs.acs.org/page/achre4/research-at-hbcus |
| non-English article title | Timmermans, J. Recherches de stoechiométrie I. La chaleur de fusion des composés organiques. Bulletin des Sociétés Chimiques Belges 1935, 44 (1), 17−40. DOI: 10.1002/j.0037-9646.1935.tb00352.x |
| translated article & original article | Kulinkovich, O. G.; Sviridov, S. V.; Vasilevskii, D. A.; Savchenko, A. I.; Pritytskaya, T. S. Reaction of Alkylmagnesium Halides with Esters of Carboxylic-Acids in the Presence of Tetraisopropoxytitanium. Journal of Organic Chemistry of the USSR 1991, 27 (2), 250−253. Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii 1991, 27 (2), 294−298. |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| magazine | Patel, P. Mighty MXenes: Ready to roll. C&EN Global Enterprise 2024, 102 (9), 26−32. DOI: 10.1021/cen-10209-cover |
| magazine from an aggregator database | Lindsay, J. Self-Driving Cars Vs. the World. Popular Mechanics, January/February 2024, 44−57 (retrieved from EBSCOHost Academic Search Complete). |
| newspaper | Demming, A. ‘Doing something for the real world’: How 1,000 UK schoolkids helped crack a crystals conundrum. Guardian, March 2, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/02/doing-something-for-the-real-world-how-1000-uk-schoolkids-helped-crack-a-crystals-conundrum |
| newspaper article from an aggragator database | Johnson, M. Nobel Prize awarded to three scientists for work in click chemistry, which links molecules quickly. Washington Post, October 5, 2022 (retrieved from ProQuest U.S. Major Dailies). |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| ebook | Tanemura, K. A.; Sierra-Costa, D.; Merz, K. M., Jr. Python for Chemists; American Chemical Society, 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acsinfocus.7e5030 |
| print book | Frankel, F. Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea; Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024. |
| book with edition | Atkins, P. Concepts in Physical Chemistry, 2nd ed.; Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024. |
| print book with edition | Berg, J. M.; Gatto, G. J.; Hines, J. K.; Heller, J. B.; Tymoczko, J. L.; Stryer, L. Biochemistry, 10th ed.; Macmillan Learning, 2023. |
| book chapter | Schmitz, C.; Cremmans, K.; Bissadi, G. Application of machine learning algorithms for use in material chemistry. Computational and Data-Driven Chemistry Using Artificial Intelligence: Fundamentals, Methods and Applications; Akitsu, T., Ed.; Elsevier, 2022; pp 161−192. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-822249-2.00001-3 |
| print book chapter | Bard, A. J.; Faulkner, L. R. Double-Layer Structure and Absorption. Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications, 3nd ed.; Wiley, 2022; pp 599−652. |
| book with editors | Mom the Chemistry Professor: Personal Accounts and Advice from Chemistry Professors Who Are Mothers, 2nd ed.; Woznack, K., Charlebois, A., Cole, R. S., Marzabadi, C. H., Webster, G., Eds.; Springer, 2018. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-78972-9 |
| book in a series | Hammond, C. The Basics of Crystallography and Diffraction, 4th ed.; International Union of Crystallography Texts on Crystallography, Vol. 21; Oxford University Press, 2015. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198738671.001.0001 |
| chapter in a book series cited in book format | Karol, P. J. The Periodic Table of the Elements: A Review of the Future. Elements Old and New: Discoveries, Developments, Challenges, and Environmental Implications; Benvenuto, M.A., Williamson, T. C., Eds.; ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1263; American Chemical Society, 2017; pp 41−66. DOI: 10.1021/bk-2017-1263.ch002 |
| book available through an aggregator database | Cowles, H. M. The Scientific Method: An Evolution of Thinking from Darwin to Dewey; Harvard University Press, 2020 (retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central). |
| book written by an organization | ACS Committee on Analytical Reagents. ACS Reagent Chemicals: Specifications and Procedures for Reagents and Standard-Grade Reference Materials, online ed.; Tyner, T., Francis, J., Eds.; American Chemical Society, 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acsreagents |
| chapter in print volume of book set with editors | Kratz, N. Structural Ceramics. Applied Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 3: From Magnetic to Bioactive Materials; Pöttgen, R., Jüstel, T., Strassert, C. A., Eds.; DeGruyter, 2023; pp 231−243. |
| translated book | Djerassi, C.; Hoffmann, R. Oxygène pièce en 1 acte; Aimée. K., Kornprobst, J.-M., Transl.; Presses Universitaires du Mirail: Toulouse, 2003 (originally published as Oxygen: A Play in Two Acts; Wiley, 2001). |
| book set | Myhrvold, N.; Young, C.; Bilet, M.; Smith, R. M. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking; Cooking Lab: Bellevue, WA, 2011. 6 Vols. https://modernistcuisine.com/books/modernist-cuisine/ |
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| image generator |
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| Source type | Example |
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| video | Swartz, G. The Water of Life: A Whisky Story. Giant Pictures. Kanopy, 2022. https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/water-life-whisky-film |
| YouTube video, part of a series | Conell, R.; Zamieroski, K.; Gentleman, D.; Waghorn, N.; Dylewski, A. Game of Thrones Science: Sword Making and Valyrian Steel. Reactions. American Chemical Society. YouTube, April 15, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHRcGoje4j4 |
| podcast | Zomorodi, M.; Cloutier, M.; Meshkinpour. S. Breaking, entering and eating—what happens when bears break the law? TED Radio Hour. National Public Radio, October 21, 2022 (interview with Mary Roach as part of episode Crimes in the Wild). https://www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1130258985/breaking-entering-and-eating-what-happens-when-bears-break-the-law |
| JOVE video (cited like a journal article) | Argyropoulos, D. S.; Pajer, N.; Crestini, C. Quantitative 31P NMR Analysis of Lignins and Tannins. Journal of Visualized Experiments2021, 174, e62696. 10.3791/62696 |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| conference abstract | Okita, J.; Iwamoto, T.; Kira, M. Novel Synthetic Route for Hydrosilyllithiums. Book of Abstracts, 2000 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (PACIFICHEM 2000), Honolulu, HI; Paper INOR 216. |
| conference abstract with pagination | Voronov, M. V.; Ganeev, A. A.; Vergizova, V. S.; Tverjanovich, I.; Potapov, S. V.; Israilov, E. K. Sputtering Ionization and Transportation Processes in Pulse Discharge in Thin-Walled Metallic Hollow Cathode for Time-of-Flight Mass-Spectrometry: Computer Simulation. Abstracts, PITTCON 2002, New Orleans, LA; p 266, Paper 641. |
| conference preprint | Grosjean, E.; Grosjean, D.; Fraser, M.; Cass, G. R. C1−C14 Carbonyls in Los Angeles Air. Preprints of Papers, 209th ACS National Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 2−7, 1995; Division of Environmental Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 1995; pp 352−354. |
| conference proceedings paper | Nilsson, A.; Petersson, F.; Persson, H. W.; Jönsson, H.; Laurell, T. Manipulation of Suspended Particles in a Laminar Flow. Micro Total Analysis Systems 2002, Proceedings of the μTAS 2002 Symposium, Nara, Japan, November 3−7, 2002; Baba, Y., Shoji, S., van den Berg, A., Eds.; Kluwer Academic: Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2002; Vol. 2, pp 751−753. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-010-0504-3_50 |
| poster in a repository | Teplitzky, S.; Quigley, B.; Sackmann, A. Supporting Research Workflows with Online Collaborative LaTeX Tools. Poster presented at the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference, Cleveland, OH, April 11, 2019. University of California eScholarship. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/81t2w1gd |
| conference presentation | Hammond, P. T. Sticky Particles for Health and Healing. Presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, March 28, 2023 (The Fred Kavli Innovations in Chemistry Lecture). https://www.acs.org/meetings/acs-meetings/past-meetings/kavli-lecture-series/sticky-particles-for-health-and-healing-2023.html |
| recorded panel presentation | Shakhashiri, B.; Jacobs, M.; Zare, R.; Morrissey, S.; Richmond, G.; Brossard, D.; Jamieson, K.; Malcolm, S.; Thorp, H.; Baum, J. Thanks for Reading: Remembering Rudy Baum and Living his Legacy. Symposium at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, March 28, 2023. YouTube, April 5, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAaJs0cl-Lw |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| data from a database | 4-Bromo-2-fluorotoluene (CAS RN: 51436-99-8). SDBSWeb. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. https://sdbs.db.aist.go.jp/CompoundView.aspx?sdbsno=19589 |
| database | SpectraBase. Bio-Rad Laboratories. https://spectrabase.com/ |
| data from a database that uses a non-CAS identifier | Rotenone (PubChem CID: 6758, CAS RN: 83-79-4). PubChem. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6758 |
| data from database, provided by another source | Caffeine (CAS RN: 58-08-2). SciFinder. CAS. https://scifinder-n.cas.org (IR spectrum ID BR001206, provided by Bio-Rad Laboratories) |
| data repository | Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics. RCSB Protein Data Bank. https://www.rcsb.org/ |
| dataset without article | Cappa, C.; Li, Z.; Smith, K. Influence of Relative Humidity on the Heterogeneous Oxidation of Secondary Organic Aerosol (Dataset). Dryad, May 18, 2018. DOI: 10.25338/B8ZK5X |
| dataset with article | Xiang, B.; Ribeiro, R. F.; Du, M.; Liying, C.; Yang, Z.; Wang, J.; Yuen-Zhou, J.; Xiong, W. Intermolecular Vibrational Energy Transfer Enabled by Microcavity Strong Light-Matter Coupling (Dataset), Ver 1. Zenodo, 2020. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3695870 (data for Xiang et al. DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3544) |
| data from a printed resource | Vanadium(V) Oxide (CAS RN: 1314-62-1). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 93rd ed.; Haynes, W. M., Lide, D. R., Bruno, T. J., Eds.; CRC Press, 2012; Section 4, p 98. |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| encyclopedia article with authors and/or editors | Birkel, C. S.; Hamm, C. M. Max phases and mxenes. Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry III, 3rd ed.; Reedijk, J., Poeppelmeier, K. R., Eds.; Elsevier, 2023; Vol. 5, pp 278−289. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-823144-9.00076-5 |
| encyclopedia article with a version number | Banfi, L.; Narisano, E.; Riva, R.; Stiasni, N.; Hiersemann, M.; Yamada, T.; Tsubo, T. Sodium Borohydride, Ver. 3 (CAS RN: 16940-66-2). e-EROS: Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis; Fuchs, P. L., Ed.; Wiley, 2014. DOI: 10.1002/047084289X.rs052.pub3 |
| monograph entry in an online handbook | Trazodone (CAS RN: 19794-93-5). The Merck Index Online. Royal Society of Chemistry. https://merckindex.rsc.org/monographs/m11010 |
| table in a handbook | Environmental Chemistry Data (Section 10): Global Warming Potential of Greenhouse Gases. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 104th ed.; Rumble, J. R., Ed.; CRC Press, 2023. https://hbcp.chemnetbase.com/ |
| encyclopedia article in print | Chloramines and Bromamines. Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th ed.; Wiley, 1993; Vol. 4, pp 931−932. |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| Congressional hearing | U.S. Congress, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in Science; Hearing before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, March 14, 2018; U.S. Government Publishing Office: Washington, DC, 2018. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY00/20180314/107992/HHRG-115-SY00-20180314-SD003.pdf |
| dataset | Hoh-Quillayute (WA) Watershed Dataset, HUC8 - 17100101. National Wetlands Inventory; U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, May 1, 2023. https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory |
| Federal Register | Environmental Protection Agency. Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances. Federal Register 2019, 84 (53), 9999−10019. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2019-03-19/2019-04457y |
| technical report | Wind Energy Accomplishments and Year-End Performance Report: Fiscal Year 2023; U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2023. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2204389 |
| U.S. state government publication | Tetrachloroethene (PERC) in Indoor & Outdoor Air; State of New York, Department of Health, revised November 2023. https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/chemicals/tetrachloroethene/ |
| website | Battery Materials Synthesis; U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/battery-materials-synthesis.html (accessed 2024-05-04) |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| patent | Lois-Caballe, C.; Baltimore, D.; Qin, X.-F. Method for Expression of Small RNA Molecules within a Cell. US7732193B2, 2010. |
| patent application | Lois-Caballe, C.; Baltimore, D.; Qin, X.-F. Method for Expression of Small RNA Molecules within a Cell. US2003/0068821A1, 2003. |
| standard | ASTM International. Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics, ASTM D638-14; West Conshohocken, PA, 2014. DOI: 10.1520/D0638-14 |
| technical report | Hung, C.-C.; Hurst, J.; Santiago, D. Boron Nitride Nanoribbons from Exfoliation of Boron Nitride Nanotubes, NASA/TM-2017-219455; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Glenn Research Center: Cleveland, OH, 2017. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=2017000388 |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| safety data sheet (SDS) | 1,4'-Bipiperidine, 99% (CAS RN: 4897-50-1). B22028, rev. 1; Alfa Aesar, Thermo Fisher Scientific: Wood Hill, MA, March 27, 2024. https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/B22028.14 |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| American Chemical Society. In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (#GAAD), we’re sharing 4 tips from our ACS Inclusivity Style Guide of how you can improve your digital and print communications. Facebook, May 16, 2024. | |
| amerchemsociety Ask a question if you're going through a career transition. Answer a question if you have made a career transition. Instagram, May 15, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7AmJTZMSUx/?hl=en | |
| American Chemical Society. Estuaries are great for birdwatching, but these areas where rivers meet the salty sea could also be sources of “blue” energy. A new take on osmotic energy-harvesting membranes works as a sort-of salt battery to more than double the amount of harvested power compared to commercial membranes. LinkedIn, May 1, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/american-chemical-society_estuaries-are-great-for-birdwatching-but-activity-7191561059567067136-yM2o | |
| Only book(s) you’ll ever need (discussion about essential chemistry books). reddit/chemistry, May 2024 (discussion about essential chemistry books). https://www.reddit.com/r/chemistry/comments/1ckofqk/only_books_youll_ever_need/ (accessed 2024-05-19) | |
| TikTok | Nic Vevers (ScienceANU). Behind the scenes of the award-winning Dance Your PhD video, Kangaroo Time with WELI TikTok, February 27, 2024. https://www.tiktok.com/@scienceanu/video/7340438636862901511 |
| X (formerly Twitter) | Heemstra, J. (jenheemstra). If you’re choosing your PhD advisor, remember that the research you will do for the next 5 years is important, but even more important is finding the person who will be your mentor and champion throughout your career. You will never regret choosing a great mentor. #PhDchat. X (formerly Twitter), September 4, 2019. https://twitter.com/jenheemstra/status/1169218959977144320 |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| software with no named authors | Mathematica, Ver. 14; Wolfram Research, 2024. |
| software with authors | Grossfield, A. WHAM: The Weighted Histogram Analysis Method, Ver. 2.0.11. http://membrane.urmc.rochester.edu/wordpress/?page_id=126 |
| software in Github | Digital Science. Dimensions API Lab. https://github.com/digital-science/dimensions-api-lab (accessed 2024-05-21) |
| code supplement for a journal article | Parkinson, P.; Church, S. Code for: Holistic Determination of Optoelectronic Properties using High-Throughput Spectroscopy of Surface-Guided CsPbBr3 Nanowires. Figshare, May 11, 2022. DOI: 10.48420/19746757.v1 (Code for Church; et al. 2022. https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.14065) |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| thesis or dissertation | Cable, M. L. Life in Extreme Environments: Lanthanide-Based Detection of Bacterial Spores and Other Sensor Design Pursuits. Ph.D. Dissertation, California Institute of Technology, 2010. http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05102010-145436548 |
| print thesis or dissertation | Tsien, R. Y. The Design and Use of Organic Chemical Tools in Cellular Physiology. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1976. |
| master’s thesis | McGuire, B. A. High Resolution THz Spectroscopy of Astrophysically Relevant Ions. M.S. Thesis, Emory University, 2011. https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/9019s306w?locale=en |
| Source type | Example |
|---|---|
| website | American Chemical Society. ACS Publications Home Page. https://pubs.acs.org/ |
| document from a website | Guidelines for Chemical Laboratory Safety in Academic Institutions. American Chemical Society, Committee on Chemical Safety, Task Force for Safety Education Guidelines, 2016. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/about/governance/committees/chemicalsafety/publications/acs-safety-guidelines-academic.pdf |
| websites that are part of a larger work or blog | Brunning, A. National Tea Day: What causes the scum on tea? Compound Interest, April 23, 2023. https://www.compoundchem.com/2023/04/21/tea/ |
| method from Protocols.io | Gilpatrick, T.; Lee, I.; Graham, J. E.; Raimondeau, E.; Bowen, R.; Heron, A.; Sedlazeck, F. J.; Timp, W. Cas9 Enrichment for Nanopore Sequencing V.3. protocols.io; Springer Nature, September 22, 2020. https://www.protocols.io/view/cas9-enrichment-for-nanopore-sequencing-bmi5k4g6.pdf |
| magazine article archived in the Wayback Machine | Wermager, P.; Weltzel, C. Alice A. Ball: Young Chemist Gave Hope to Millions. ChemMatters. February 2007; pp 16−19. https://web.archive.org/web/20141017202836/http://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/chemmatters-february-2007.pdf |
| Wikipedia |
Oganesson. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oganesson&oldid=1218419822 (accessed 2024-04-21) |
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ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication
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