Nature Catalysis

About Nature Catalysis

Nature Catalysis: Journal Overview

Nature Catalysis is a monthly, online-only research journal published by Springer Nature as part of Nature Portfolio, with its editorial office in Berlin, Germany. Launched in January 2018, it is the first dedicated catalysis journal in the Nature family, created to bring together homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis research in a single venue that serves scientists, engineers, and researchers in both academia and industry (source: nature.com/natcatal/about, accessed October 2026).

The journal has rapidly established itself among the highest-impact chemistry titles in the world. According to the journal's official metrics page, Nature Catalysis recorded a Journal Impact Factor of 48.3 (2025), with a 5-year Journal Impact Factor of 51.7 (2025) — figures that place it in the top tier of catalysis and chemistry journals globally (source: nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact, accessed October 2026). Its scope is deliberately broad: rather than fragmenting the field by subdiscipline, the journal publishes across all areas of catalysis, from fundamental mechanistic studies to applied work aimed at sustainable industrial processes.

Like other Nature Portfolio research journals, Nature Catalysis has no external editorial board. All editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors with active research backgrounds — a model designed to ensure consistent standards and rapid handling (source: nature.com/natcatal/about). The journal publishes both fundamental and applied work, with a stated particular interest in applied research that advances knowledge and informs the development of sustainable industries and processes (source: nature.com/natcatal RSS feed, accessed October 2026).

History of Nature Catalysis

Nature Catalysis was announced in 2017 alongside Nature Electronics as one of two new Nature Research journals, with Springer Nature stating that the journals would be characterised by fair and rigorous peer review, high standards of copy-editing and production, swift publication, and editorial independence (source: Springer Nature Group press release, group.springernature.com). The journal launched its first issue in January 2018, entering a field already served by long-established titles such as the Journal of Catalysis and Catalysis Today — but with a distinct positioning: a high-selectivity, cross-disciplinary home for catalysis spanning chemistry, biology, materials science, and engineering.

The founding Chief Editor was Dr. Enda Bergin, previously a Senior Editor at Nature Communications. In the journal's inaugural editorial, the founding team — then housed in the new Berlin office — introduced themselves to the community: Davide Esposito, a former principal investigator who joined from the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces with expertise in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems; Marçal Capdevila-Cortada, covering computational catalysis after work at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ); and Jan-Stefan Völler, the point of contact for biocatalysis and related areas, joining from the Technical University of Berlin (source: nature.com, "Catalysis by nature," inaugural editorial s41929-017-0020-2).

In April 2020, Enda Bergin stepped down as Chief Editor to take up a new role as Chief Physical Sciences Editor of Nature Communications, and Davide Esposito — formerly a Senior Editor at the journal — succeeded him as Chief Editor, alongside Senior Editors Marçal Capdevila-Cortada and Jan-Stefan Völler (source: nature.com, "Unusual times," s41929-020-0458-5). Within eight years of its launch, the journal had risen to the top ranks of its field by impact factor, reflecting both the centrality of catalysis to chemistry and energy research and the journal's selective editorial bar.

A notable publishing milestone came in January 2021, when the journal — which had launched as subscription-only — began offering authors of primary research articles the choice between the traditional publishing route and immediate gold open access, aligning the title with evolving funder mandates such as Plan S and the NIH public access policy (source: nature.com/natcatal/our-publishing-models).

Leadership and Editorial Team

The current Chief Editor of Nature Catalysis is Dr. Davide Esposito, who took up the role in April 2020 after serving as a Senior Editor since the journal's launch. Esposito joined the journal after running a research group in homogeneous catalysis and previously holding a principal investigator position at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, bringing expertise across both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems (sources: nature.com/natcatal/contact; nature.com, "Catalysis by nature").

As with other Nature Portfolio journals, Nature Catalysis operates without an external editorial board. Instead, a dedicated team of full-time professional editors — each with doctoral-level research backgrounds in relevant areas — handles manuscripts from submission through decision. The founding team covered homogeneous, heterogeneous, computational, and biocatalysis; the team has since expanded and now also draws on the Research Cross-Journal Editorial Team that supports Nature-branded research journals on primary research manuscripts (sources: nature.com/natcatal/about; nature.com/natcatal/research-cross-journal-editorial-team). Oversight of the Nature journals portfolio sits with Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of the Nature journals, with editorial management through Executive Vice President of Nature Portfolio Deborah Sweet, Vice President of the Nature Research Journals Portfolio Erika Pastrana, and Editorial Director Stuart Cantrill (source: nature.com/natcatal/contact).

The editorial office is located at Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin, Germany, and the editorial contact for general inquiries and manuscript status questions is catalysis@nature.com (source: nature.com/natcatal/contact).

Aims & Scope

According to the journal's official materials, Nature Catalysis covers all areas of catalysis, drawing together work from across chemistry and adjacent fields — including homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysts — and incorporating both fundamental and applied studies (source: nature.com/natcatal RSS feed; nature.com/natcatal/about). The scope deliberately crosses the boundaries of organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry as well as biochemistry, and reaches into materials science, nanotechnology, and chemical engineering where catalysis plays a central role (source: Springer Nature launch press release).

What distinguishes the journal's positioning is its dual audience: the editors describe Nature Catalysis as a venue for scientists, engineers, and researchers in both academia and industry, providing coverage of both the science and the business of catalysis research. Applied work that advances fundamental understanding while informing the development of sustainable industrial processes is of particular interest — a remit that reflects catalysis's central role in green chemistry, energy conversion, and sustainable manufacturing (sources: nature.com/natcatal RSS feed; nature.com/natcatal/about).

In practice, the journal seeks studies that represent a significant conceptual or practical advance likely to influence thinking across the catalysis community, rather than incremental extensions of established methods. Authors are expected to articulate why their work matters beyond their immediate subfield — a hallmark of the Nature Portfolio editorial philosophy.

Editorial Process and Peer Review

Manuscripts submitted to Nature Catalysis are first assessed by the in-house editorial team. Only papers that appear most likely to meet the journal's editorial criteria — originality, significance, and broad interest to the catalysis community — are sent for formal external peer review; the rest are declined promptly without review, a triage system common to the Nature Portfolio that saves authors' and referees' time (sources: nature.com/natcatal/about; nature.com/natcatal/submission-guidelines).

How manuscripts are handled:

1. Initial editorial assessment. Every submission is read by the professional editors. Papers judged to be of insufficient general interest, incremental, or otherwise inappropriate for the journal are rejected without external review.
2. Formal peer review. Manuscripts judged to be of potential interest are sent to external reviewers, who assess technical soundness, novelty, and significance. Reviews, Perspectives, Analyses, and Articles are all peer reviewed; Correspondence and Comment pieces may be reviewed at the editors' discretion; News & Views and Book Reviews are not peer reviewed (source: nature.com/natcatal/content).
3. Editorial decision. On the basis of reviewers' advice, editors decide to accept, invite revision to address specific concerns, or reject — sometimes with encouragement that further work could justify resubmission elsewhere in the portfolio.

Speed. The journal publishes its own turnaround statistics: the median time from submission to first editorial decision is 25 days, and the median time from submission to acceptance is 273 days (source: nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact, 2025 figures). Manuscripts declined by Nature Catalysis may be offered transfer to a sister journal within Nature Portfolio, with reviewer reports carried over where appropriate.

Preprints. In line with other Nature Portfolio journals, the deposition of the non-peer-reviewed version of a manuscript into open repositories is supported — the founding editorial team confirmed support for preprint deposition in 2019 (source: nature.com, "Unusual times"). Preprints are not considered to compromise novelty.

Impact and Metrics

The following metrics are published on Nature Catalysis's official journal metrics page (nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact, accessed October 2026). Years refer to the metric year as displayed by the journal.

Historical note: The journal's Impact Factor has climbed steeply since its first eligible years — the 2023 Journal Impact Factor (published in Clarivate's JCR 2024 release) was approximately 42.8, ranking the journal among the top journals in physical chemistry categories (source: Wikipedia's Nature Catalysis entry citing the 2023 Journal Citation Reports; readers should verify current rankings on the official metrics page). Springer Nature is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and the journal's metrics page notes that citation measures such as the 2-year Journal Impact Factor are not necessarily measures of journal quality — authors and readers are encouraged to consider a range of metrics (source: nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact).

Acceptance rate: The journal does not publicly disclose its acceptance rate. Given the journal's selectivity and high impact factor, competition for space is intense, but no official figure is published — any acceptance-rate numbers found on third-party sites should be treated as estimates, not official data.

Submission Guidelines

Nature Catalysis publishes several distinct content types, each with its own format requirements (source: nature.com/natcatal/content, accessed October 2026):

• Article: A substantial novel research study, often involving several techniques. Main text up to 3,500 words (excluding abstract, Methods, references, and figure legends); abstract up to 150 words, unreferenced; up to 8 display items; as a guideline, up to 50 references. Structured as Introduction (without heading), Results, Discussion (or Conclusions), and Online Methods. Peer reviewed.
• Analysis: A new analysis of existing data (or a technology or tool), or new comparative data leading to novel and arresting conclusions of broad importance. Main text up to 3,000 words; abstract 100–150 words; up to 6 display items; up to 50 references. Peer reviewed.
• Review: An authoritative, balanced, scholarly survey of recent developments — broad enough not to be dominated by one laboratory's work. No more than 5,000 words; up to 8 display items; up to 100 references. Usually commissioned — authors are advised to send a presubmission enquiry with a synopsis. Peer reviewed.
• Perspective: A personal-viewpoint discussion of results and ideas, more forward-looking or speculative than a Review. Up to 4,000 words; up to 4 display items; up to 50 references. Usually commissioned. Peer reviewed.
• Comment: A flexible opinion format on scientific, commercial, ethical, legal, societal, or political issues surrounding research — topical, readable, provocative, and accessible to non-specialists. Typically no longer than 2,000 words; up to 15 references. Peer review at editors' discretion.
• Correspondence: A forum for comment on issues relevant to the journal's community (not for presenting research data). 300–800 words; 1 display item; up to 10 references.
• Matters Arising: Exceptionally interesting and timely scientific comments and clarifications on original research papers published in Nature Catalysis — submitted through a specialist process.
• News & Views: Short articles on the latest advances in catalysis research, including papers published elsewhere. Usually commissioned; not peer reviewed.
• Feature: Up to 3,000 words in a journalistic style, covering technical and commercial aspects of topics relevant to the readership.

Manuscripts are submitted through the journal's online submission system (linked from nature.com/natcatal). Reviews and Perspectives are usually commissioned, so a presubmission enquiry with a synopsis is advisable before preparing a full manuscript (source: nature.com/natcatal/content).

Open Access and APC

Nature Catalysis is a hybrid journal. Since January 2021, authors of primary research articles (Articles and Analyses) have been able to choose between the traditional subscription publishing route and immediate gold open access via payment of an article processing charge (APC) — an option introduced to help authors comply with funder mandates such as Plan S and the NIH public access policy (sources: nature.com/natcatal/our-publishing-models; mts-natcatal.nature.com submission system).

Non-primary content — including Reviews, Comments, News & Views, and Book Reviews — is not eligible for open access and is published only via the subscription route (source: nature.com/natcatal/content).

APC figure: Nature Catalysis does not publish a fixed, journal-specific APC on its public journal pages; the amount is confirmed during the production process after acceptance, once authors choose the open access route (source: nature.com/natcatal/submission-guidelines/production-process). Readers should therefore treat any APC figure seen on third-party sites as indicative only, and verify the current charge on Nature's official open access pages before relying on it. The journal also participates in Springer Nature's institutional open access agreements, which can cover publishing costs for authors at participating institutions, and authors may check eligibility through the publisher's open access support portal (source: nature.com open access support pages).

Notable Research Themes and Representative Studies

In its eight years of publication, Nature Catalysis has become a leading venue for high-visibility catalysis research across homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biological catalysis. The journal does not publish an official "most-cited" ranking, so the studies below are presented as representative recent high-visibility articles from the journal's pages (sourced from nature.com/natcatal, accessed October 2026) — illustrating the breadth of the journal's remit rather than an exhaustive record.

Operando and in situ characterisation. A signature theme of the journal is the push to observe catalysts as they actually work. A 2026 Article combined operando electron microscopy with quantitative image analysis to track, with atomic resolution, the three-dimensional evolution of individual Pt nanoparticles during CO oxidation — revealing the coexistence and dynamic interplay of Taylor- and Langmuir-type active sites (Jenkinson et al., doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01612-w). Another 2026 study used time-resolved X-ray free-electron laser methods to capture transient intermediates during isopenicillin N synthase catalysis, revealing how protein dynamics and solvent networks govern oxygen activation and ring formation in β-lactam biosynthesis (Rabe et al., doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01618-4).

Sustainable synthesis and photocatalysis. The journal regularly publishes methodological advances with direct relevance to green chemistry. Examples include anti-Markovnikov alkene hydroalkylation achieved with malonic acids as alkyl donors using iron photocatalysis (Kao, Bian, West et al., doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01600-0) and ligand/additive design approaches that enable Ni(I)/Ni(III)-catalysed C(sp²)–heteroatom coupling of aryl bromides at catalyst loadings as low as 100 ppm nickel (Bena et al., doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01616-6).

Energy and industrial catalysis. Applied work with industrial relevance is a particular focus of the journal. A 2026 Article adapted operando X-ray absorption and mass spectroscopies, integrated with kinetic analysis and calorimetry, to achieve site-resolved analysis of oxygen vacancies at Cr/ZnO interfaces during syngas conversion (Yang et al., doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01615-7) — the kind of fundamental-meets-applied study the journal was created to host. The journal also covers catalytic materials for hydrogen production, CO₂ conversion, and ammonia synthesis.

AI and autonomous catalysis. Reflecting a broader transformation of the field, the journal has embraced artificial intelligence in catalysis: a 2025 Perspective discussed self-driving laboratories for catalysis, arguing that human oversight remains essential to realise their full potential, while a 2026 Perspective by Xin, Kitchin, and Wang mapped a roadmap for transforming heterogeneous catalysis with AI — from AI-ready data ecosystems to multimodal foundation models and autonomous labs (doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01479-x).

Biocatalysis and enzyme engineering. The journal's remit includes engineered biological catalysts, such as work on engineering cellular nitrene chemistry (Völler, doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01614-8), underscoring that biocatalysis is treated as a full pillar of the journal alongside homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.

Across these themes, the common thread is selectivity for work that combines mechanistic depth with conceptual advance — and, frequently, relevance to sustainability challenges in energy and chemical manufacturing.

The Nature Portfolio Family

Nature Catalysis sits within Nature Portfolio, Springer Nature's family of journals, which includes the flagship Nature, the multidisciplinary open-access journal Nature Communications, the Communications series, dozens of Nature Reviews titles, and a large set of discipline-specific Nature-branded research journals launched in the same era (such as Nature Electronics, with which it was announced, Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability, and others) (source: Springer Nature launch press release).

The portfolio model shapes the journal's editorial practice: manuscripts declined by Nature Catalysis may be offered transfer to a sister journal with reviewer reports carried over where appropriate, and the journal also benefits from the portfolio-wide Research Cross-Journal Editorial Team that handles primary research manuscripts across the Nature-branded research journals (sources: nature.com/natcatal/research-cross-journal-editorial-team). Because highly selective specialist sister journals exist, Nature Catalysis can reserve its pages for catalysis research of the broadest significance — which is why editors may advise authors that excellent but narrower work is better suited to a more specialist outlet.

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nature Catalysis?

Nature Catalysis is a monthly, online-only peer-reviewed research journal published by Springer Nature's Nature Portfolio. Launched in January 2018, it publishes research across all areas of catalysis — homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis — for audiences in both academia and industry (source: nature.com/natcatal/about).

When was Nature Catalysis launched?

The journal was announced in 2017 and launched its first issue in January 2018, alongside Nature Electronics, as part of an expansion of the Nature Research journal portfolio (source: Springer Nature Group press release).

Who is the Chief Editor of Nature Catalysis?

Dr. Davide Esposito has been Chief Editor since April 2020. The founding Chief Editor was Dr. Enda Bergin, who led the journal through its launch phase before moving to a new role at Nature Communications (sources: nature.com/natcatal/contact; nature.com, "Unusual times").

What is the impact factor of Nature Catalysis?

According to the journal's official metrics page, the Journal Impact Factor is 48.3 (2025), with a 5-year Impact Factor of 51.7 (2025). The 2023 Impact Factor was approximately 42.8. Figures are updated annually — check nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact for current values.

What areas does Nature Catalysis cover?

All areas of catalysis: homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysts, encompassing fundamental and applied studies. The journal has a particular interest in applied work that advances knowledge and informs the development of sustainable industries and processes, and it serves scientists, engineers, and researchers in academia and industry (source: nature.com/natcatal/about; nature.com/natcatal RSS feed).

Does Nature Catalysis have an editorial board?

No. Like other Nature Portfolio journals, it has no external editorial board — all editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors with research backgrounds, based in Berlin (source: nature.com/natcatal/about).

How does peer review work at Nature Catalysis?

All submissions are first assessed by the in-house editors; only those deemed likely to meet the journal's criteria are sent for formal external review. Articles, Analyses, Reviews, and Perspectives are peer reviewed; News & Views and Book Reviews are not (source: nature.com/natcatal/content).

How long does Nature Catalysis take to make a decision?

The median time from submission to first editorial decision is 25 days; the median time from submission to acceptance is 273 days (source: nature.com/natcatal/journal-impact, 2025 figures).

Is Nature Catalysis open access?

It is a hybrid journal. Since January 2021, authors of primary research articles can choose either the subscription route or immediate gold open access via an APC. Reviews, Comments, News & Views, and other non-primary content are not eligible for open access (sources: nature.com/natcatal/our-publishing-models; nature.com/natcatal/content).

What is the APC for Nature Catalysis?

The journal does not publish a fixed journal-specific APC on its public pages; the charge is confirmed during production after acceptance. Prospective authors should verify current fees on Nature's official open access pages rather than relying on third-party figures.

Can I post a preprint before submitting to Nature Catalysis?

Yes. In line with Nature Portfolio policy, deposition of the non-peer-reviewed manuscript version into open repositories is supported, and preprints are not considered to compromise novelty.

Where can I submit to Nature Catalysis?

Manuscripts are submitted through the journal's online submission system (linked from nature.com/natcatal). Reviews and Perspectives are usually commissioned, so a presubmission enquiry with a synopsis is advisable before preparing a full manuscript (source: nature.com/natcatal/content).

Profile compiled 10 October 2026 from official Nature and Springer Nature sources listed below. Metrics, fees, and policies change over time — always verify current figures on the journal's official pages before citing or acting on them.