Journal profile · Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Applied Surface Science
ISSN 0169-4332 · eISSN 1873-5584 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1985
Applied Surface Science: CAS Zone 2 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.52; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,930; review about 69 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 3,224 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Applied Surface Science is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques, Semiconductor materials and devices and ZnO doping and properties, together about 23.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Materials Chemistry. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A Journal Devoted to Applied Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces and InterfacesApplied Surface Science covers topics contributing to a better understanding of surfaces, interfaces, nanostructures and their applications. The journal is concerned with scientific research on the atomic and molecular level of material properties determined with specific surface analytical techniques and/or computational methods, as well as the processing of such structures.This journal accommodates the following topics:Surface science of catalysis, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis;Deposition and growth;2D assembly;Surface and interface modification by directed energy deposition (lasers, ion or electron beams) or other techniques such as plasmas;Surface engineering and functionalization;Functional surfaces and coatings;Electrochemistry at surfaces and corrosion protection strategies;Surface science applied to energy conversion and storage;Surface nanotechnology and devices;Semiconductors - surface and interface;Biointerfaces.Note to authors In order to be considered for publication, your paper must be a research study on the atomic and molecular level of material properties determined with specific surface approaches, either by experimental techniques or computational methods. If not, your submission will not be considered for publication and will not be sent out for peer-review. Content related to research presented at scientific events?can be submitted to the journal?s companion title, Applied Surface Science Advances.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Editor-in-chief Jennifer StrunkPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 15%); most named Mainland China 11, United States 10, Germany 9, Japan 4, Belgium 4 (72 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesEnergy9.2%
- Semiconductor materials and devicesEngineering7.6%
- ZnO doping and propertiesMaterials Science6.4%
- Catalytic Processes in Materials ScienceMaterials Science5.5%
- Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and SensorsEngineering5.5%
- Metal and Thin Film MechanicsEngineering5.5%
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials ResearchMaterials Science4.8%
- Graphene research and applicationsMaterials Science4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.52LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.14LetPub ·
- h-index
- 159LetPub ·
- h-index
- 277OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 45,679OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.55OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.3%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 3,026LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 69,766 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,523 | 447 | 2,203 |
| 2025 | 3,224 | 447 | 18,412 |
| 2024 | 2,745 | 527 | 35,030 |
| 2023 | 2,684 | 431 | 54,650 |
| 2022 | 3,569 | 465 | 90,706 |
| 2021 | 3,173 | 476 | 97,966 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
69 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2.5 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 86%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 32 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 69 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,930 / EUR 3,680 / GBP 3,150 / JPY 487,440 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,270 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- 7th International Conference on Applied Surface Science (VSI: ICASS 2026)Deadline
- Materials Challenges in Alternative and Renewable Energy 2026 (MCARE 2026)Deadline
- Advanced Surface Science and Engineering for Corrosion-Resistant Industrial Materials: Mechanisms, Design, and Sustainable Protection (VSI: ICIMC 2026: Corrosion)Deadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted5
- full length articleFull Length Articles and Short Communication are welcome.Length not stated
- letterFull Length Articles and Short Communication are welcome. Both should contain an Abstract (of up to 200 words) and a Conclusions section.Short communications sh…Length not stated
- perspectiveFull Length Articles and Short Communication are welcome. Both should contain an Abstract (of up to 200 words) and a Conclusions section.Short communications sh…Length not stated
- perspective articleApplied Surface Science also publishes Perspective Articles.Length not stated
- short communicationFull Length Articles and Short Communication are welcome. Both should contain an Abstract (of up to 200 words) and a Conclusions section.Short communications sh…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Authorship requires substantial contributions and final approval. Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of one reviewer for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed; not prior publication. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1985
- ISSN
- 0169-4332
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-5584
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Applied Surface Science
What CAS zone is Applied Surface Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Applied Surface Science is in Zone 2 of Materials Science, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Materials Science, Coatings & Films / Physics, Applied / Physics, Condensed Matter. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Applied Surface Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.52; CiteScore 13.3, h-index 277.
How long does peer review take at Applied Surface Science?
The publisher reports about 69 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2.5 months. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Applied Surface Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Applied Surface Science based?
Of the 72 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 15%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (11), United States (10) and Germany (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Applied Surface Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Applied Surface Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Applied Surface Science open access, and what is the APC?
Applied Surface Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,930.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .