中国科学院化学研究所成立于1956年，是以基础研究为主，有重点地开展国家急需的、有重大战略目标的高新技术创新研究，并与高新技术应用和转化工作相协调发展的多学科、综合性研究所，是具有重要国际影响、高水平的化学研究机构。
化学所的主要学科方向为高分子科学、物理化学、有机化学、分析化学、无机化学。多年来，化学所面向世界科技前沿，取得一批有重要影响的基础研究成果，原始创新能力不断提升；面向国家战略需求，取得多项关键核心技术突破，高技术创新与集成不断加强；面向国民经济主战场，形成一批自主知识产权，延伸创新价值链，技术示范和产业化不断推进。 积极开展化学与生命、材料、环境、能源等领域的交叉研究，在分子与纳米科学前沿、有机高分子材料、化学与生命科学交叉、能源与绿色化学等领域取得新的突破，建设和完善了面向国家重大战略需求的先进高分子材料基地。
建所以来，化学所共获得国家和省部级成果奖励300余项，在发表SCI论文数、论文被引用篇数等方面，连续十多年名列全国科研机构前列，特别是高影响论文数不断增长，自然指数连续五年位列中科院研究所第一名，彰显了化学所基础研究的雄厚实力和创新能力。化学所专利申请和授权数在中国科学院研究机构中一直名列前茅，一批重要成果应用于国家经济建设和国家重大需求。
The Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), founded in 1956, is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive research institute that focuses on basic research, focuses on high-tech innovation research that is urgently needed by the country and has major strategic goals, and develops in harmony with the application and transformation of high-tech. It is a high-level chemical research institution with important international influence.
The main disciplines of the Department of Chemistry are polymer Science, physical chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Over the years, the Institute of Chemistry has faced the forefront of the world's science and technology, and has obtained a number of important basic research results, and its original innovation capability has been continuously improved. To meet the national strategic needs, it has made a number of key core technology breakthroughs, and continuously strengthened high-tech innovation and integration; Focusing on the main battlefields of the national economy, China has formed a number of independent intellectual property rights, extended the innovation value chain, and made continuous progress in technology demonstration and industrialization. It has actively carried out cross-research in the fields of chemistry and life science, materials, environment and energy, and made new breakthroughs in the fields of molecular and nanoscience frontier, organic polymer materials, chemistry and life science intersection, energy and green chemistry, etc. It has built and improved an advanced polymer material base that meets the major strategic needs of the country.
Since its establishment, the Institute has been awarded more than 300 national and provincial achievements awards. In terms of the number of SCI papers published and the number of papers cited, the Institute has been ranked among the top scientific research institutions in China for more than 10 years in a row. In particular, the number of high-impact papers has been increasing continuously. The number of patent applications and grants of the Institute has always been among the top among the research institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a number of important achievements have been applied to the national economic construction and major national needs.