Instant, free, and accurate references for your paper.
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Source type
for manual entry.
This ACS citation generator looks up metadata from DOI and ISBN. For other sources, use manual entry.
Paste any identifier and we fetch all metadata automatically via CrossRef and Open Library.
Formatted to match the ACS Style Guide (2026 edition) with bold year and italic volume.
Copy the full reference entry and in-text citation (superscript or bracketed) instantly.
Each source type has a dedicated page with format examples.
An ACS citation generator automatically creates references in the American Chemical Society (ACS) style. Paste a DOI, ISBN, or URL —it fetches the metadata and formats everything according to the ACS Style Guide.
ACS style is standard in chemistry and related sciences —from undergraduate coursework to peer-reviewed journal submissions.
Undergrads
Course papers & lab reports
Graduate Researchers
Theses & dissertations
Journal Authors
ACS & chemistry journals
Librarians
Teaching citation style
Choose from Journal Article, Book, Website, Thesis, Preprint, and more using the tabs at the top.
Journal · Book · Website · Thesis · PreprintEnter a DOI, ISBN-13, URL, or arXiv ID. The tool auto-fetches all metadata from CrossRef and Open Library.
10.1021/jacs.0c01234Review the pre-filled fields, click Generate, then copy the reference entry and in-text citation into your paper.
One-click copy · Add to bibliographySmith, J. A.; Jones, B. C. Synthesis of Novel Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (3), 1234–245. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c12345.
Atkins, P.; de Paula, J. Physical Chemistry, 10th ed.; Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2014.
American Chemical Society. ACS Publications Home Page. https://pubs.acs.org/ (accessed June 29, 2026).
Zhang, L. Development of Electrochemical Biosensors. Ph.D. Dissertation, MIT, 2023.
Key rules at a glance —bold year, italic volume, semicolons between authors.
Format: Author 1; Author 2. Title. J. Abbrev. Year, Vol (Issue), Pages. DOI.
e.g. Smith, J. A.; Jones, B. C. Synthesis of Novel Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (3), 1234–245.
Format: Author(s). Book Title, Nth ed.; Publisher: City, Year; pp Pages.
e.g. Atkins, P.; de Paula, J. Physical Chemistry, 10th ed.; Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2014.
Format: Author or Org. Page Title. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).
e.g. American Chemical Society. ACS Publications Home Page. https://pubs.acs.org/ (accessed June 29, 2026).
Format: Author. Title. Degree Type, Institution, Year.
e.g. Zhang, L. Development of Electrochemical Biosensors. Ph.D. Dissertation, MIT, 2023.
Format: Author(s). Title. Server Year. DOI.
e.g. Li, M.; Wang, X. Machine Learning in Drug Discovery. ChemRxiv 2025. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-xxxxx.
Format: Superscript: word¹ or bracketed: word (1)
e.g. ...as previously reported¹ / ...as previously reported (1)
Practical articles on ACS formatting, common mistakes, and chemistry writing.
The American Chemical Society citation style is the standard for chemistry publications. Learn the key rules, formatting requirements, and how to apply them correctly.
DOIs are the preferred identifier in ACS citations. This guide explains how to format DOIs correctly, when to use them, and what to do when a DOI is not available.
Many chemistry students are familiar with APA style from other courses. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the key formatting differences between ACS and APA 7.
An ACS citation generator is an online tool that automatically creates citations in the American Chemical Society (ACS) style. You provide an identifier such as a DOI, ISBN, or URL, and the tool fetches the necessary metadata and formats it according to the ACS Style Guide.
ACS style is used in the field of chemistry and related sciences. It is primarily used by students and academics writing for ACS publications, such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Organic Letters, and other ACS journals.
Select your source type (Journal, Book, Website, etc.), paste a DOI, ISBN, or URL into the search box, and click Cite. The tool automatically retrieves the metadata and formats it in ACS style. You can then copy the reference entry and in-text citation.
Yes, completely free. No account, no registration, no payment. Just paste your identifier and generate your citation.
You can cite journal articles, books, book chapters, websites, theses, preprints, conference papers, patents, videos, and many more —over 30 source types in total, including magazine articles, reports, standards, and legal sources.
ACS uses numbered references. In-text, cite with a superscript number (e.g. ¹) or a number in parentheses (e.g. (1)). The number matches the order in your reference list. This tool generates both formats for you to copy.
Yes. Use the Select style row at the top of the tool to switch between ACS, APA 6, APA 7, MLA 8, MLA 9, Chicago, and Harvard. Your reference and in-text citation update automatically for the same source.
When a DOI is available, ACS style recommends including it at the end of the reference, as a full https://doi.org/ link. For journal articles and many online sources, a DOI is preferred over a generic URL.
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