Four Years of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering: Reflections and New Developments

Abstract

Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (ACS SCE) was launched in January 2013, with a scope that included green chemistry, green engineering, and the grand challenges for sustainability in the chemical enterprise. As Editors, we have been honored by the response of the research community to the journal. Submissions and published content have grown by an order of magnitude since our launch, and as our fourth year came to a close, we were approaching 800 published articles per year. These publications are being widely cited, and the journal's impact factor, which currently stands at 5.27, is on an upward trajectory. Given the number and high quality of submissions that ACS SCE is attracting, we chose this editorial venue at the start of our fifth year to comment on the scope and future directions of ACS SCE, providing clarifications based on our collective editorial experience.

Why Wasn’t My ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Manuscript Sent Out for Review?

“…This includes, but is not limited to, research on biomass-based fuels, materials, and processes; catalysis and green manufacturing of chemicals including commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, and pharmaceuticals; electrochemistry for chemical production as well as energy storage and conversion; use of wastes as raw materials; alternative solvents (including ionic liquids) and solvent-free processes; nanoscale materials and their properties in the context of sustainability; and new methodologies for life-cycle assessment and other quantitative assessments of environmental impacts of products and processes. On the other hand, as we have noted in previous editorials, 2 we regard as outside of our journal's scope manuscripts that exclusively focus on the following topics: pollution abatement catalysis, pollutant treatment systems including adsorbents, and thermodynamic and/or physical property measurements and processing of materials from commercial sources. Exceptions include contributions in these areas that contain well-articulated, novel elements of green chemistry, green engineering, or sustainability.…”

Synthesis and Properties of a Novel Environmental Epoxidized Glycidyl Ester of Ricinoleic Acetic Ester Plasticizer for Poly(vinyl chloride)

“…The peaks at 1.45-1.64 ppm were attributed to the hydrogens of -CH 2 -, in addition to the carboxyls of number 3 and 13 carbon. The chemical shifts around 1.95-2.41 ppm (peaks 2,11,12,19,8) corresponded to the methylene and methine protons attached to the double bond and -COOH groups. The multi peaks at 4.84-5.42 ppm were attributed to the hydrogens of CH=CH of number 9, 10 carbon.…”

“…Restrictive regulations on the use of phthalates for flexible PVC products have been defined in many countries [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Consequently, with the growing interest in plasticizers with low toxicity and high migration resistance, and as an alternative to phthalates [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], more and more researchers are directing their attention to bio-based plasticizers made from vegetable oils [ 14 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

The Global Reach of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and Welcoming Lina Zhang

“…Finally, we have created an Early Career Board (ECB), which augments the EAB. During their two year terms of service, ECB members will help identify special issue topics and expand the journal’s presence in the community at conferences and via social media.…”