Molbank is a unique journal, bringing together one-compound-per-paper short notes on synthetic compounds and natural products. It started in 1997 and has gone from strength to strength. To continue this trend, we want to make some changes that will allow the journal to be more focused and equip it for success moving forward. To this end, here, we want to define the aims and focus the scope of the journal.
AIMS
The primary aim of Molbank is to provide a depository of chemical information that will facilitate the chemists of tomorrow in their research and discovery. It publishes two types of report, namely “Short Notes”, which report data for previously unpublished single molecules (one compound per paper), and “Communications” of preliminary but significant results that can involve more than a single compound. For “Short Notes”, the journal offers a home for experimental data related to individual compounds, which is not typically publishable. Reports that concentrate primarily on the structure determinations of novel compounds are also a feature of the journal. Articles that provide a detailed discussion of the properties or uses of the molecules presented do not fall within the remit of the journal. Examples include reports that have a focus on the biological activity or the materials chemistry applications of the compounds. Such reports are better suited for publication in other journals.
SCOPE
There are three focus areas of the journal:
- Organic Synthesis and Biosynthesis: This section of the journal is dedicated to reports of the synthesis and characterization of novel organic compounds and forms the mainstay of Molbank. Molecules may belong to any product class within organic chemistry. Submissions may also present the generation of a metal complex of the organic compound, but attention should be focused on the preparation and characterization of the ligand itself. Reports of inorganic compounds or materials chemistry do not fall withing the scope of the journal. All submissions should contain an element of novelty in order to fit the aims of the journal, and manuscripts describing the synthesis of a known compound are considered only if both of the following criteria are met: (a) the compound must be of extraordinary general interest; and (b) its synthesis was significantly improved. All types of newly synthesized organic compounds that can be defined as single chemical entities with a unique systematic name (following the IUPAC naming rules) are welcome. Short Notes should contain data for a single compound; however, Communications do not have this restriction but there is an increased emphasis on novelty in the synthetic approach.
- Natural Product Chemistry: This section of the journal is dedicated to the reports that describe the isolation and characterization of new compounds from natural sources. All types of natural products that can be defined as single chemical compounds with a unique systematic name are welcome.
- Structure Determination: Manuscripts submitted to the Structure Determination section should report the structure elucidation (most commonly using single-crystal X-ray diffraction) of one compound along with the synthetic procedure and ancillary chemical/spectroscopic characterization. Structures may alternatively be determined by multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, electron diffraction, or a combination of techniques. In keeping with the overall aims of Molbank, the goal should be to disseminate synthetic and structural information on novel compounds that might otherwise be lost. However, there is also the option to submit manuscripts that present data for known compounds that have not previously been structurally characterized. When diffraction methods are used as a tool, the data should be deposited with the Crystallography Open Database (COD) or the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC). Submissions to the Structure Determination section should include some form of explicit comparison of the reported structure to other related structures already in the literature. For example, from a narrow search of the Cambridge Structural Database. In addition, authors should discuss the lattice structure (significant inter-moiety contacts, H-bonding, etc.) of their reported compound, with the use of a Figure to illustrate this. A concise summary of the diffraction parameters for a single structure should be included in the main body of the article, together with selected derived geometric data that are directly relevant to describing the structure and its significant features. More extensive parameter tables should be provided in the Supplementary Materials file.
We look forward to receiving your contributions to Molbank and to the exciting future of the journal as it moves from strength to strength!
Conflicts of Interest
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
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