In 2026, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. The Perspective presents a historical account of the growth of the field of analytical chemistry and the journal Analytical Chemistry, as seen through the lens of the ACS. Beginning with the early influence of analytical chemists on ACS publications, leading to the creation of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Analytical Edition in 1929, readers can follow the evolution of analytical chemistry, the fourth journal published by the ACS. Since its first volume, through 2026, the journal has seen continuous growth. Highlighting the impact of our seven Editors on the journal, this Perspective provides insight into our changing discipline through discussion of the most cited papers published in the journal. In a few years, analytical chemistry will mark its 100th anniversary. It is exciting to speculate about what changes are in store for the journal in the era of AI-enabled science, scientific writing, and publishing.
Jonathan V. Sweedler (Fri,) studied this question.