Journal profile · Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Materials Letters
ISSN 0167-577X · eISSN 1873-4979 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1982
Materials Letters: CAS Zone 4 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.55; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,870; review about 62 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 1,886 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Materials Letters is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 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, ZnO doping and properties and Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors, together about 19.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Materials Chemistry. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Materials Letters is an interdisciplinary journal devoted to rapid communications on the science, applications, and processing of materials.Materials Letters is dedicated to publishing novel, cutting edge reports of broad interest to the materials community. The journal provides a forum for materials scientists and engineers, physicists, and chemists to rapidly communicate on the most important topics in the field of materials.Contributions include, but are not limited to, a variety of topics such as:Materials - Metals and alloys, amorphous solids, ceramics, composites, polymers, semiconductors, biomaterials and biological materials, advanced materials, metamaterials, high-entropy alloys, nitrides, and oxides.Applications - Structural, opto-electronic, magnetic, biomedical, MEMS, sensors, electronics, smart materials, additive manufacturing, membranes, materials for energy systems, batteries, photocatalysis.Characterization - Analytical, microscopy, scanning probes, nanoscopic, optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic, spectroscopic, diffraction.Novel Materials - Micro and nanostructures (nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles), nanocomposites, thin films, superlattices, quantum dots.Processing - Crystal growth, thin film processing, sol-gel processing, solvo-hydrothermal processing, mechanical processing, assembly, nanocrystalline processing, sustainable/green processing routes.Properties - Mechanical, magnetic, optical, electrical, ferroelectric/piezoelectric, thermal, interfacial, transport, thermodynamic, photoelectrochemical, photocatalytic, thermoelectric, biological, electrochemical.Synthesis - Quenching, solid state, mechano-chemical, solidification, solution synthesis, vapor deposition, high pressure, explosive, MOVPE and LPE epitaxial processes, single crystal growth.Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence - Materials discovery, design of materials and digital materials science.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Raymundo ArróyavePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 14%); most named United States 17, Mainland China 13, United Kingdom 10, Germany 7, Italy 6 (92 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesEnergy6.6%
- ZnO doping and propertiesMaterials Science6.4%
- Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and SensorsEngineering6.2%
- Advancements in Battery MaterialsEngineering5.5%
- Supercapacitor Materials and FabricationMaterials Science5.3%
- Quantum Dots Synthesis And PropertiesMaterials Science5%
- Aluminum Alloys Composites PropertiesEngineering5%
- Copper-based nanomaterials and applicationsMaterials Science4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview 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
- 2.55LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.6LetPub ·
- h-index
- 124LetPub ·
- h-index
- 193OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 23,801OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.75OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 6.6%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,786LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 42,531 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,517 | 194 | 473 |
| 2025 | 1,886 | 153 | 4,294 |
| 2024 | 1,938 | 270 | 9,930 |
| 2023 | 1,863 | 215 | 14,421 |
| 2022 | 1,995 | 159 | 21,753 |
| 2021 | 2,140 | 177 | 28,859 |
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
62 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2.3 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 2.3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 83%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 29 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 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 2,870 / EUR 2,680 / GBP 2,300 / JPY 355,970 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,010 | — | — |
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted3, with length limits
- featured lettersFeatured Letters are invited only contributions to Materials Letters. They are short but authoritative reports of the state-of-the-art in a scientific field, wi…Length not stated
- letterin the conclusions, etc. Note: Featured Letters manuscripts must not exceed 4000 words plus 5 figures/table. This includes the title, authors, affmain text ≤ 4,000 words
- short communications (letters)Short Communications (Letters) are intended as brief reports of significant, original and timely research results on the science, applications and processing of…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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
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 ·- 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 two reviewers 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.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
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
- 1982
- ISSN
- 0167-577X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-4979
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Materials Letters
What CAS zone is Materials Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Materials Letters is in Zone 4 of Materials Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Materials Science, Multidisciplinary / Physics, Applied. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Materials Letters?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.55; CiteScore 5.6, h-index 193.
How long does peer review take at Materials Letters?
The publisher reports about 62 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2.3 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 Materials Letters?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. 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 Materials Letters based?
Of the 92 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 14%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17), Mainland China (13) and United Kingdom (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Materials Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Materials Letters is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Materials Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Materials Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,870.
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: .