ACS Citation Generator
Generate properly formatted citations in American Chemical Society (ACS) style for journal articles, books, and websites. Follows The ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication.
Three in-text methods: ACS supports superscript numbers (¹), italic parenthetical numbers (1), or author-date (Smith, 2024). Check your target journal's author guidelines to confirm which method is required. Superscript is the default for most journals.
Tip: Copy and paste your source information from your document, or enter it manually following the format shown above.
ACS Citation Generator Guide
An ACS citation generator formats references according to American Chemical Society style — the standard for chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science. ACS uses a numbered reference system: a superscript number appears in the text and corresponds to a numbered list at the end. An ACS citation generator handles both the in-text number and the full reference entry automatically.
ACS In-Text Format
¹ or (1) or 1
ACS superscript or bracketed number — format depends on journal
ACS reference numbers are assigned in order of first appearance. When a source is cited again, an ACS citation generator reuses the same number rather than creating a new entry, keeping reference lists compact and precise.
ACS Reference List Rules
- ACS references are numbered in order of appearance, not alphabetical
- ACS journal abbreviations follow CASSI (Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index)
- ACS requires inclusive page numbers for journal articles
- ACS author format: Last, F. M.; (semicolon-separated, all inverted)
ACS style has three in-text numbering variants — superscript, italic parenthetical, and bold parenthetical — and individual journals specify which to use. Use this ACS citation generator for lab reports, research papers, and ACS journal submissions. The ACS Style Guide (3rd edition) is the authoritative reference for formatting details beyond what an ACS citation generator covers.
ACS Citation Format Guide
In-Text Citation Methods
| Method | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Superscript Numbers | Numbers placed outside punctuation as superscripts. Traditional for print. | ...remineralization.2 |
| Italic Numbers in Parentheses | Numbers italicized in parentheses. Common in digital manuscripts for hyperlinking. | ...remineralization (2). |
| Author-Date | Last name + year in parentheses. Alphabetical reference list. | (Smith, 2024) / (Smith et al., 2024) |
For two authors use both names: (Smith and Jones, 2024). For three or more: (Smith et al., 2024).
Journal Article
(N) Author, A. A.; Author, B. B. Article Title. Journal Abbrev. Year, Vol (Issue), Pages. DOI: xx.xxxx/xxx.
Example:
(1) Tan, G. Y.; Das, M.; Keum, H. Photochemical single-step synthesis of β-amino acid derivatives. Nature Chemistry 2022, 14 (10), 1174−1184. DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01008-w.
Book
(N) Author, A. A. Title of Book; Publisher: City, State, Year; pp Pages.
Example:
(2) Morris, R. The Last Sorcerers: The Path from Alchemy to the Periodic Table; Joseph Henry Press: Washington, DC, 2003; pp 145–158.
Website / Online Resource
(N) Author, A. A. (if any). Title of Site. URL (accessed Mon Day, Year).
Example:
(3) National Library of Medicine. Environmental Health & Toxicology. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/index.html (accessed Feb 04, 2020).
Key ACS Rules
- Authors: Last, F. M.; — all names inverted, separated by semicolons
- Up to 10 authors listed; use et al. beyond 10
- Journal names use CASSI abbreviations (e.g., J. Am. Chem. Soc.)
- Year is bold; volume number is italic; issue is plain in parentheses
- DOI formatted as
DOI: 10.xxxx/... - Use an en dash (−) for page ranges, not a hyphen (-)
- Numbered references: listed in order of first appearance; hanging indent format
- Author-date references: listed alphabetically by first author's last name
- Access dates required for websites: (accessed Mon DD, YYYY)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ACS citation style?
ACS style is the official citation format of the American Chemical Society, used in chemistry, biochemistry, and related sciences. It offers three in-text citation methods and requires strict typographic rules (bold year, italic volume, CASSI journal abbreviations).
Which in-text citation method should I use?
Check your target journal's author guidelines. Superscript numbers are most common for print. Italic parenthetical numbers are popular in digital manuscripts because they allow hyperlinking. Author-date is used when the author's identity is particularly relevant.
Where do I find the official journal abbreviation?
Use the Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI) at cas.org/support/documentation/references/cassi, or check the journal's own website. Abbreviations are required — full journal names are not accepted.
Is the DOI required?
DOIs are strongly recommended whenever available. Format as DOI: 10.xxxx/.... Most modern ACS publications expect a DOI for journal articles.
Do I need to manually apply bold and italic?
Yes. This generator outputs plain text. In your final document apply bold formatting to the publication year and italic formatting to the journal name and volume number, per ACS guidelines.