Nano Template
Get your Nano paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Nano Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Nano goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Nano guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Nano Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Nano. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Nano journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Nano submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Nano guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Nano guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Nano Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ACS Paragon Plus.
Steps to Use This Template with Scispace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The Scispace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Nano.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Nano guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through ACS Paragon Plus.
Nano Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Nano requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Articles: unstructured, ~250 words, providing succinct informative summation of the most important results and conclusions; no references may be cited in the abstract, and abbreviations and acronyms should not be introduced unless essential. Reviews: unstructured, ~250 words maximum. Perspectives: ~120 words. Nano Focus: ~120 words. |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Articles: 5-7 lowercase keywords. Reviews: ~8-10 keywords (plus a vocabulary section in which 5-7 terms extracted from the text are defined in one or two sentences). Perspectives and Nano Focus: graphical Table of Contents entry mentioned but specific keyword requirement not stated. |
| References | ACS style: References cited by superscript numbers at appropriate locations in the text. All literature citations compiled in a numbered References list at the end of the manuscript text, in the order of their first citation in the text. Each numbered reference may contain only one literature citation. For initial submission, references can be provided in any style, but they must be complete, including titles; ACS style required for accepted manuscripts. |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (single-blind): Authors will not know who is reviewing their manuscript, but reviewers will know who has authored the manuscript. |
| Submission | acsparagonplus.acs.org |
Quick Tips for Using the Nano Template
Read the Nano guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Nano in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Nano papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Nano journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Nano guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ACS Paragon Plus.
