In my experience, it is not necessary (although it is desirable) to have publications as a requirement for earning a Ph.D. in chemistry. Normal requirements are to write a thesis that is approved by a committee of faculty members and to pass all appropriate exams.

What you are searching for is a so-called "cumulative doctoral thesis" [or in German "kumulative Promotion"]. There are some universities which offer it as an option, although I am not aware of any database on the issue.

If you have it as an option, it's probably a nice thing, but publications in general aren't plannable before your PhD work assuming you don't set a low bar for your research, so you must always stay ready to write a monography thesis.

In any case, I wouldn't recommend making that the top priority for choosing which group you join. The major criteria should be (a) that the topic is interesting enough for you to spend several yours of your life on it and (b) that the group you join is decently managed.