雜原子化學的設計目的是將一個廣泛的跨學科的化學家群體聚集在一起，他們與含有周期表第13至17組的主要基團元素和某些其他相關元素的化合物一起工作。基本反應性在所有情況下都應該集中在雜原子上。無論所研究的化合物是無環的還是環狀的；飽和的還是不飽和的；具有單體聚合物或固態性質的；無機有機的或自然存在的，只要雜原子起著至關重要的作用。同時歡迎實驗文章和基于計算化學的文章。一般來說，雜原子化學不接受基于經典雜環化學的手稿（有幾種特殊期刊可供查閱）。它歡迎有關雜環系統的有趣文章，而這些文章超出了經典有機化學的范疇。更積極的是，有許多研究領域都是雜原子化學的明顯例子。其中包括以下結構和反應：（a）高度配位的主族元素化合物的異常化合價；（b）低配位的主族元素化合物的特征和異常性質；（c）高度應變的主族元素化合物的特征和異常性質；（d）主族化合物之間的相似性。NDS和過渡金屬化合物；（e）導致高度反應性中間物種的雜原子參與的鍵的簡單光化學或熱裂解；（f）含有多重鍵合雜原子的化合物的異常反應；（g）高度鏈合雜原子的異常結構和反應；（h）特異和異常的雜原子對化合物物理和化學性質的ighboring基團效應；（i）對合成過程的有用影響；（j）對周期表中許多元素的廣泛適用性，例如在超價物種中的配體耦合；對極其重要的wittig反應的變化；以及化合物堿的立體化學。d分子中存在的雜原子的影響。這些陳述并非旨在限制雜原子化學的范圍，而是旨在說明雜原子在含有它們的化合物的化學中發揮重要作用的多種方式。

Heteroatom Chemistry is designed to bring together a broad interdisciplinary group of chemists who work with compounds containing main-group elements of groups 13 through 17 of the Periodic Table and certain other related elements. The fundamental reactivity should in all cases be concentrated about the heteroatoms. It does not matter whether the compounds being studied are acyclic or cyclic; saturated or unsaturated; of a monomeric polymeric or solid state nature; inorganic organic or naturally occurring so long as the heteroatom is playing an essential role. Also both experimental articles and those based on computational chemistry are welcomed. In general Heteratom Chemistry will not accept manuscripts based on classical heterocyclic chemistry (for which several special journals are available). It welcomes however interesting articles on heterocyclic systems beyond the scope of classical organic chemistry. On a more positive note there are many areas of research that are unmistakable examples of heteroatom chemistry. These include structures and reactions that exhibit (a) unusual valency of highly coordinated main-group element compounds; (b) characteristics and unusual properties of low coordinate main-group element compounds; (c) characteristics and unusual properties of highly strained main-group element compounds; (d) similarities between main-group compounds and transition metal compounds; (e) facile photochemical or thermal cleavage of bonds involving heteroatoms that lead to highly reactive intermediate species; (f) the unusual reactivity of compounds that contain multiply bonded heteroatoms; (g) the unusual structures and reactivities of highly catenated heteroatoms; (h) specific and unusual neighboring group effects of heteroatoms on physical and chemical properties of compounds; (i) useful influences on synthetic processes; and (j) wide applicability over many elements of the Periodic Table e.g. ligand coupling within hypervalent species; variations on the immensely important Wittig reactions; and the stereochemistry of compounds based on the influence of heteroatoms present in the molecules. These statements are not designed to limit the scope of heteroatom chemistry; rather they are intended to illustrate the many ways in which heteroatoms play essential roles in the chemistry of compounds containing them.