Aims & Scope
Core Research Domains
Hydrocarbon Synthesis & Structure Tier 1
- Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon synthesis pathways
- Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon chemistry
- Alkylation mechanisms and catalytic processes
- Structural characterization via NMR, MS, and IR spectroscopy
- Stereochemistry of complex hydrocarbon molecules
- Novel synthetic routes for specialty hydrocarbons
Petroleum Chemistry & Geochemistry Tier 1
- Molecular composition of crude petroleum and reservoir fluids
- Organic geochemistry of ancient sediments
- Chemical and physical properties of petroleum fractions
- Petroleum geochemistry and biomarker analysis
- Compaction and diagenesis effects on hydrocarbon formation
- Chromatographic separation of petroleum hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon Transformation & Degradation Tier 1
- Reaction kinetics of hydrocarbon oxidation and degradation
- Catalytic cracking and reforming mechanisms
- Microbial degradation pathways at molecular level
- Photochemical and thermal transformation processes
- Free radical mechanisms in hydrocarbon reactions
- Environmental fate and transport chemistry
Analytical & Physical Chemistry Tier 1
- Advanced chromatographic techniques (GC-MS, LC-MS, 2D-GC)
- Spectroscopic methods for hydrocarbon characterization
- Physicochemical property determination (solubility, vapor pressure)
- Thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbon mixtures
- Molecular modeling and computational chemistry
- Surface chemistry and interfacial phenomena
Secondary Focus Areas
Industrial Chemistry Applications
Chemical engineering principles applied to hydrocarbon processing, including refining chemistry, petrochemical synthesis, lubricant formulation, and specialty chemical production. Focus on molecular-level transformations and process chemistry rather than equipment design or operational management.
Materials Science Interfaces
Hydrocarbon-based materials including polymers derived from petroleum feedstocks, carbon materials synthesis, surfactant chemistry, and molecular self-assembly. Emphasis on structure-property relationships and chemical characterization of materials at molecular scale.
Environmental Chemistry
Molecular-level studies of hydrocarbon behavior in environmental matrices, including seawater oil contamination chemistry, soil-hydrocarbon interactions, atmospheric chemistry of volatile hydrocarbons, and chemical remediation mechanisms. Excludes ecosystem-level or policy studies without molecular focus.
Computational & Theoretical Chemistry
Quantum chemical calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, QSAR modeling, and machine learning applications for predicting hydrocarbon properties and reactivity. Mathematical modeling of reaction mechanisms and thermodynamic behavior of hydrocarbon systems.
Emerging Research Frontiers
Explicit Exclusions
Patient care protocols, therapeutic interventions, clinical trials, diagnosis methods, and treatment outcomes are outside our scope. While biochemical mechanisms involving hydrocarbons may be considered, the focus must remain on molecular chemistry rather than medical applications.
Equipment design, production engineering without chemical focus, well logging technology, drilling operations, and reservoir management are not within scope unless they include substantial molecular-level chemical analysis or mechanistic insights.
Economic analyses, policy recommendations, market studies, and political dimensions of hydrocarbon usage lack the chemical science foundation required for this journal. We focus on molecular science, not socioeconomic aspects.
Geothermal energy systems, solar technologies, wind power, and other non-hydrocarbon energy sources are outside our scope. Carbon capture technology is only considered when focused on chemical mechanisms of CO2 interaction with hydrocarbon systems.
Ecological impact assessments, biodiversity studies, habitat restoration, and environmental management practices without molecular-level chemical analysis are not appropriate. We require focus on chemical mechanisms and molecular interactions.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
(Fast-Track)
Systematic Reviews: Comprehensive, critical analyses of hydrocarbon chemistry subfields with meta-analysis where appropriate (6,000-10,000 words).
Methods & Protocols: Innovative analytical techniques, synthetic methodologies, or computational approaches with validation data (3,000-5,000 words).
(Standard Review)
Data Notes: High-quality datasets with chemical characterization, spectroscopic libraries, or computational results (1,000-2,500 words).
Perspectives: Forward-looking analyses of emerging trends in hydrocarbon chemistry by established researchers (2,000-4,000 words).
Opinion Pieces: Not accepted; authors should consider Perspective format with data-driven analysis.
Conference Proceedings: Not accepted; full research articles developed from conference presentations are welcome.
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- Experimental procedures must follow reproducibility standards
- Spectroscopic data: include acquisition parameters and processing methods
- Computational studies: report software versions, basis sets, and validation
- Statistical analyses: provide confidence intervals and significance tests
- Chemical nomenclature: follow IUPAC conventions
Data & Materials Policy
- Raw spectroscopic data must be deposited in public repositories
- Computational input files and coordinates should be provided
- Chemical structures: provide MOL/SDF files for novel compounds
- Crystallographic data: deposit in Cambridge Structural Database
- Code availability: share analysis scripts via GitHub or Zenodo
Ethics & Compliance
- Environmental sampling: obtain necessary permits and approvals
- Hazardous materials: document safety protocols and disposal methods
- Conflict of interest: disclose industry funding and affiliations
- Authorship: follow ICMJE criteria for contributorship
- Prior publication: preprints allowed (arXiv, ChemRxiv)
Peer Review Process
- Double-blind peer review by minimum two experts
- Reviewers selected for chemical expertise in specific subfield
- Statistical review for computational and modeling studies
- Reproducibility checks for novel synthetic methods
- Post-publication peer review via open comments
