Introducing Compounds: An Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal

Almost 10 years have passed since the International Year of Chemistry was celebrated. Chemistry was claimed as a central science. It is a bridge between the physical sciences (among which would be chemistry itself) and life sciences or applied sciences. There is no doubt that the center of this science is the molecules, the chemical compounds, which we are already able to model at will to infer properties that will later turn them into valuable tools to achieve the objectives of applied science, engineering, or even medicine. They will be transformed into more efficient systems to produce or transport energy, more resistant materials, faster processors, and better and more effective drugs that allow for the defeat of diseases, improvements in the efficiency of crops, greater food safety, and so on—in short, a longer, more comfortable life, and a society, therefore, that will become healthier, happier, longer-living and, above all, more sustainable.

For this reason, chemistry was the fashionable science of the 20th century and, thanks to the challenges of the 21st century, will be key for supplying molecules and providing methods and concepts to rationalize results and to solve the needs of our society, with multidisciplinary approaches. It will maintain its unequivocal character of the central science during this new century. Let us remember that one of the best definitions of chemistry comes precisely from the field of synthetic chemistry: “chemistry is the science that creates its own object”.

This new journal Compounds (ISSN 2673-6918) aims to be a showcase of what the scientific community can achieve by modeling molecules and transforming matter to adapt to our needs. It is a journal in which the scientific community can present their results in an open access format, so that their research can be spread quickly and reach maximum diffusion. Our core objective will be to provide high-quality research contributions in a wide range of chemistry areas. The scope of our journal includes, but is not limited to: the synthesis, characterization, and properties—including mechanical, thermal, structural, electric, magnetic, and optical properties—of organic and inorganic compounds; natural products, physical inorganic chemistry/physical organic chemistry—including thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanisms, reactivity—and solid-state chemistry—including bonding, crystal chemistry, high-pressure processes, surfaces, structural studies and transport phenomena; catalysis—homogeneous, heterogeneous, and microheterogeneous; coordination chemistry; organometallic chemistry, intermetallic compounds, metallic materials, and alloys and rare earth compounds; materials—including the synthesis, characterization, and applications of magnetic materials, optical materials, intermetallic compounds, metallic materials, and alloys; nanoscale chemistry; and finally, energy (including hydrogen storage materials and hydrides) and photochemistry. Additionally, manuscripts related to theory and computation, simulation, and modeling are welcome.

The final goal is making Compounds a high-quality journal for the benefit of the scientific and industrial research community, as well as for society. We wish to become a distinguished forum for seeking those new horizons in chemistry. The Editorial Board and myself, as Editor-in-Chief, invite high-quality contributions in various forms, such as regular research articles, communications, letters, short notes, and reviews. We face this challenge with excitement and enthusiasm, and hope that this will encourage you to participate by publishing your best works in chemistry in our journal and, therefore, contributing towards achieving the success of Compounds in its endeavor.