begin{filecontents*}{chapter1.bib}
    @article{ref1,
        author={Name, F.L},
        journal={J. Am. Chem. Soc},
        pages={1134--1145},
    }
    end{filecontents*}
documentclass[oneside,openany,openbib,11pt]{memoir}
usepackage{etoolbox}
usepackage{lipsum}
usepackage{filecontents}
usepackage{chapterbib}
usepackage[super=true,journal=jacsat,maxauthors=0]{achemso} %for proper citation formatting

% tried this but it didn't work
%renewcommand{bibsection}{subsection{References}}
% also tried this
%patchcmd{thebibliography}{chapter*}{section}{}{}

begin{document}
    addtocontents{toc}{protectsetlength{parskip}{0pt}protectOnehalfSpacing}
    frontmatter
    renewcommand{contentsname}{Table of Contents}
    tableofcontentsclearpage
    mainmatter
        begin{filecontents}{chapter1.tex}
            setsecnumdepth{subsection}
            maxsecnumdepth{subsection}
            settocdepth{subsection}
            chapter{Chapter 1}
            section{C1S1}
            subsection{C1-SubS1}
            lipsum[1]cite{ref1}
            subsection{C1-SubS2}

            renewcommand{bibname}{References}
            bibliographystyle{achemso}
            bibliography{chapter1}
        end{filecontents}

    include{chapter1}
end{document}