Over the past three decades, MDPI has transformed into a global enterprise committed to advancing open science by making research freely and easily accessible to all.

With a portfolio of more than 500 fully Open Access journals, supported by a growing community of scholars including more than 4.6 million authors and 68,000 Editorial Board Members, it is easy to forget that MDPI began with one single journal.

Now entering its 30^th year, Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049) was first published in 1996 and boasts an impressive set of numbers:

• 1,333,404 total citations
• 246,939 authors
• 64,419 papers published
• 117,555,015 total downloads

Statistics as of June 2026

These numbers highlight the scale of the journal’s success and its wealth of achievements which have accompanied its growth over the past 3 decades. However, to fully understand the rich history and pioneering nature of the journal, we must look beyond numbers alone.

In this article, we explore the history of Molecules, charting the key milestones and developments which have shaped it into a pioneering Open Access journal of chemistry.

Early beginnings

Prior to becoming the leading Open Access publisher that it is today, MDPI began as a repository for rare chemical samples based in Basel, Switzerland.

This endeavour was led by MDPI’s Founder, Dr. Shu-Kun Lin. He believed that the chemical compounds developed by researchers should be preserved. Even more so, he believed they should be easily accessible by other scientists.

At this time, the internet was still in its infancy. However, emerging digital platforms offered great potential for transforming scholarly communication.

Keen to harness the potential of the internet, Dr. Lin launched Molecules to “make a chemist’s intellectual contribution even more worthwhile”. This meant increasing the accessibility and visibility of scholars’ work, in turn accelerating scientific progress.

“Even though early roots of an “open access” (OA) movement can be traced back to the 1950s, its full potential was only realized with the advent of the internet and, thus, the timely creation of Molecules can be considered a truly visionary act in the history of chemistry and scientific publishing.” – Professor Dr. Thomas Schmidt, Molecules Editor-in-Chief (2023 – present).

By removing barriers to knowledge and encouraging the rapid exchange of information, Molecules established a blueprint for success that future MDPI journals could follow.

In the years proceeding Molecules’ first issue, new titles such as IJMS, Sensors, and Entropy were launched, signalling the start of MDPI’s expansion across disciplines.

Growth and development

As MDPI continued to grow, so did Molecules. Over time, the journal significantly expanded its scope, boosted its visibility across various indexing databases, and improved across key metrics.

Between 2015 and 2020, Molecules launched more than 20 new sections, welcoming a broader range of subdisciplines to the journal’s scope. Such additions included, but are not limited to, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Applied Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Theoretical Chemistry.

As well as broadening its scope, Molecules continued to grow both its readership and output. This was aided by the journal’s inclusion across various indexing databases, which increased the visibility of the journal while simultaneously affirming the quality of its research.

Currently, Molecules is indexed within a wide variety of academic databases, including SCIE (Web of Science), Scopus (Elsevier), DOAJ, J-Gate, PMC, Reaxys, and Gale, among many other platforms.

Journal metrics

Supported by its inclusion in these important databases, Molecules stands as a highly impactful journal of chemistry. Importantly, its success can be further measured, such as considering its impressive journal-level metrics.

Molecules’ Impact Factor (IF) currently sits at 5.1 – an increase from the previous year and highest IF to date.

The journal is also featured in the top 50% (Q2) of the Journal Citation Report Categories ‘Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’ and ‘Chemistry, Multidisciplinary’.

Furthermore, Molecules’ CiteScore has seen incredible growth. With its most recent rating (2025) coming in at an impressive 10.3, the journal has doubled its CiteScore over the past 5 years.

Having such a strong CiteScore means that Molecules is featured in Q1 (top 25%) of 7 CiteScore category ranks:

• Organic Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Science
• Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Drug Discovery
• Molecular Medicine
• Chemistry (miscellaneous)

These metrics aptly demonstrate the journal’s current reach and growth over the past decade. However, to get a deeper understanding of the broader societal resonance of a publication’s content, Altmetrics highlight how the research in Molecules is shared online.

As of June 2026, Molecules has received

• 104,732 mentions across social media platforms and
• 16,995 mentions across various news outlets.

A testament to the real-world relevance of the journal, Molecules has also been mentioned 17,270 times across policy documents and patents, including references within documents from The Publications Office of the European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Overall, Molecules is a widely indexed journal that publishes impactful research. This is made possible by the trust the academic community places in the journal and the consistent work of its editorial staff.

Nurturing a growing academic community

In establishing Molecules, MDPI provided an avenue for scholars to easily share their findings with the wider scholarly community. However, in order to fully serve its academics, Molecules expanded its services beyond publishing alone.

Through various academic events, awards, and partnerships with academic societies, Molecules has cultivated a vibrant community of international researchers, creating opportunities for collaboration and professional development.

Events & conferences

Academic events, both in-person and virtual, represent one way in which Molecules is actively engaged in enhancing connection between researchers and driving knowledge exchange.

Hosted by Molecules, the Electronic Conferences on Synthetic Organic Chemistry (ECSOC) is the longest-running electronic conference in the world.

For nearly 30 years, ECSOC has offered a dynamic global platform for researchers across the globe to share cutting-edge research, exchange innovative ideas, and foster collaboration.

When the conference series began in 1997, it was remarkably innovative in multiple ways. Firstly, it was entirely virtual. Secondly, it was completely free to participate in. This is still true today, with the upcoming 30th ECSOC requiring no fees to attend.

Taking place between 5 and 19 November 2026, this event will be chaired by Professor Doctor Julio A. Seijas of University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Its abstract submission deadline is fast approaching (1 July 2026).

30 years of ECSOS is an incredible milestone for the journal. Still, in addition to continuing this established conference series, Molecules continues to foster new areas for academic collaboration.

Between 27 and 29 September 2027, the journal will host The 1st International Online Conference on Molecules (IOCMO 2027).

As a comprehensive and interdisciplinary conference, IOCMO 2027 is designed to reflect the wide scope of Molecules and to bring together diverse research communities working at the frontiers of chemistry and related disciplines.

Learn more about Molecules’ conferences and events here.

Recognising excellence

A defining feature of Molecules’ academic community is the exceptional quality of its authors’ research and the dedication of its Editorial Board.

The journal is dedicated to ensuring these efforts are recognised and celebrated through MDPI Awards such as the Young Investigator Award, Travel Award, Best Paper Award, Editor of Distinction Award, and the Best PhD Award.

These awards, serving as a source of inspiration for both tenured and emerging scholars, work to raise the profile of talented individuals who hold outstanding achievements or have shown immense potential to make significant contributions to the field of chemistry and related disciplines.

Unique to the journal, Molecules’ dedication to inspiring scientific excellence is further demonstrated by its establishment of the Tu Youyou Award.

The MDPI Tu Youyou Award honors exceptional contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry and was conceived in celebration of the enduring legacy and career of Nobel Prize laureate Professor Tu Youyou.

The journal’s deep admiration for Professor Tu Youyou work dates back to 2009 when, after years of studying her teams transformative research, Dr. Shu-Kun Lin published a Special Issue in celebration of her 80^th birthday:

“On the occasion of Prof. Tu Youyou’s 80th Anniversary, we would like to express our cordial respect to the discoverer of artemisinin (Qinghaosu), the great master playing with molecular diversity, for her outstanding contribution to the mankind.”

Left: Prof. Youyou Tu, Right: Dr. Shu-Kun Lin (Founder of MDPI)

The biennial Tu Youyou Award was established in 2016 and began a course of recognising exceptional scholars across natural products and medicinal chemistry.

In 2024, the Tu Youyou Award cemented its position as one of MDPI’s most prestigious flagship awards, transitioning from journal-level ownership to MDPI.

Collaboration with academic societies

Molecules’ successful series of academic events, along with its expansive range of awards which highlight the contributions made to the journal, demonstrate how it continues to engage with its scholars.

Furthermore, by collaborating with multiple academic societies across the globe, who similarly seek to advance the field of chemistry and related disciplines, the journal encourages further collaboration and scientific excellence.

Molecules is affiliated to the following academic societies:

• International Society for Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids (IS3NA)
• International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry (ISHC)
• Spanish Society of Medicinal Chemistry (SEQT)

These collaborations strengthen the journal’s connection to the research community, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support initiatives which further advance scientific discovery.

If you are a member of any of these institutions or societies, reach out to your representative to learn more about the benefits of publishing with MDPI, including discounts on article processing charges (APCs).

Join the celebrations

When Molecules was launched in 1996, it was founded on the bold idea that scientific knowledge could be accessible to all, at no cost. With Molecules leading the way, this idea continues to be realised through MDPI’s growing portfolio of Open Access journals.

The journal’s success over the past three decades is not only a testament to the efforts of its authors, Editorial Board Members, and reviewers, but also to the global appeal of making scientific research freely available.

As part of its 30^th anniversary, Molecules is hosting a series of celebration activities which scholars can participate in, including multiple Special Issues, awards, and anniversary webinars.

To learn more about how the journal is celebrating its 30^th anniversary, visit its dedicated anniversary homepage. Here, you can also find an extended timeline of the journal’s history and the key statistics behind its ongoing success.

This year, MDPI is celebrating 30 years of pioneering Open Access. Learn more about MDPI at 30 here.