A comprehensive analysis of publication trends, scientific impact, and global contributions to carbon nanostructure research
At the beginning of the 21st century, the nanotechnology revolution swept through the scientific community, opening unprecedented opportunities for creating new materials with unique properties.
Among various nanotechnology directions, carbon nanostructures—fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene—have attracted particular interest from researchers worldwide. These amazing materials, consisting of carbon atoms organized into regular geometric shapes, promise to fundamentally transform many industries—from electronics to medicine.
But how can we track the development dynamics of such a rapidly growing field of science? Which countries are leading this nanotechnology race? Answers to these questions are provided by bibliometric analysis—the quantitative study of publication activity and citation of scientific works. In the second part of our research, we examine the academic influence of various countries and their contributions to the most significant publications in the field of carbon nanostructures from 2000 to 2015.
Scientometrics provides data-driven insights into research trends and impact
Enables comparison of research performance across countries and institutions
Scientometrics is the science of measuring and analyzing scientific activity. Similar to how economists use macroeconomic indicators to assess economic conditions, scientometricians use bibliometric indicators to evaluate the productivity and impact of scientific research. These indicators include: number of publications, citation index, share of highly cited works, and other metrics.
A characteristic feature of scientific publications in the field of carbon nanostructures is their strong skewness in citation: a small proportion of articles receive the vast majority of citations, while many articles are cited relatively rarely .
This requires the use of special analysis methods based on percentiles, which allow for a more adequate assessment of scientific impact .
Data from Science Citation Index Expanded—one of the most authoritative multidisciplinary databases indexing leading scientific journals worldwide.
Fractional counting method applied for international co-authored publications, where each country received a contribution share proportional to its number of authors.
| Country | Total Publications | Share of Global Output (%) | Contribution to Top-10% Articles (%) | Contribution to Top-1% Articles (%) | Highly Cited Publications Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 85,420 | 32.5 | 28.7 | 25.3 | 0.88 |
| USA | 45,680 | 17.4 | 24.5 | 30.1 | 1.73 |
| Japan | 22,150 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 0.82 |
| South Korea | 18,270 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 0.74 |
| Germany | 15,890 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 1.07 |
| India | 14,560 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 0.56 |
| Russia | 8,450 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.47 |
| Singapore | 3,270 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.33 |
Source: Science Citation Index Expanded analysis (2000-2015)
The period from 2000 to 2015 was marked by a significant redistribution of scientific forces in the field of carbon nanostructures. If at the beginning of the period, undisputed leadership belonged to the USA and countries of Western Europe, then by the end of the analyzed period, China became the clear leader in the number of publications, providing almost a third of the global output in this field .
However, quantitative leadership does not always translate into qualitative leadership. Although China produces the largest number of publications, the United States maintains leadership in contribution to the top-1% of most cited articles (30.1%), demonstrating higher efficiency in producing extra-class scientific knowledge.
A special interest is the Singaporean phenomenon. The small Asian country produces only 1.2% of the total number of publications in the field of carbon nanostructures but shows incredibly high efficiency. Singapore's highly cited publications index is 2.33—this means that the country produces 2.33 times more highly cited articles than would be expected based on its share of the total number of publications .
This indicator is the best among all countries in the world and indicates a targeted policy of supporting excellence research and creating conditions to attract leading scientists from around the world.
In carbon nanostructure research, two groups of countries can be conventionally distinguished: "old-timers" (USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France) and "newcomers" (China, South Korea, India, Iran, Russia). The analysis shows a gradual but steady "advance" of newcomers on the positions of old-timers.
The most indicative is the rivalry between China and the USA. If in 2000 the gap between these countries in the number of publications was more than twofold in favor of the USA, then by 2015 China not only caught up but almost doubled the USA in this indicator. A similar, though less pronounced, dynamic is observed in the rivalry between South Korea and Germany, Iran and Russia .
| Country | 2000-2005 Period | 2010-2015 Period | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 5,240 | 52,180 | 896% |
| USA | 15,670 | 20,450 | 30% |
| India | 1,580 | 9,870 | 525% |
| South Korea | 2,450 | 11,360 | 364% |
| Russia | 1,920 | 4,380 | 128% |
| Germany | 5,120 | 7,650 | 49% |
| Japan | 7,850 | 9,240 | 18% |
Source: Analysis of publication trends in carbon nanostructure research
Russia is among the top ten countries in terms of the number of publications in the field of carbon nanostructures, but its positions in terms of quality and impact indicators are significantly weaker. Russia's share in the total number of publications is 3.2%, while its contribution to the top-10% of most cited articles is only 2.1%, and to the top-1%—only 1.5% .
Global publication share
Highly cited publications index
Russia's highly cited publications index is 0.47, which is significantly below one and means that the country produces fewer highly cited articles than would be expected from its share of the total output. This indicator is one of the lowest among the leading countries in carbon nanostructure research.
Of particular concern is that Russia is gradually losing its positions not only to traditional competitors but also to new scientific powers. A striking example is Iran, which shows impressive growth and is already beginning to outpace Russia in some efficiency indicators .
This indicates the need for a radical revision of science policy in the field of nanotechnology, increased funding, improved conditions for researchers, and the creation of effective incentives for publishing in high-ranking international journals.
Russia needs strategic reforms to enhance its competitiveness in nanotechnology research and improve the quality and impact of its scientific publications.
Research in the field of carbon nanostructures requires not only talented scientists but also special equipment, reagents, and methodologies.
Application: Used as a basis for creating composite materials with improved mechanical and electrical properties.
Function: Reinforcement of matrix materials.
Application: Used in nanoelectronics due to their unique electrical properties.
Function: Creating conductive channels in nanoscale devices.
Application: Serve as the basis for creating transparent conductive coatings, sensors, and batteries.
Function: Providing high conductivity and transparency.
Application: Used in organic photovoltaics and medicine.
Function: Electron acceptors in solar cells, antioxidants in medical applications.
Application: Equipment for synthesis of carbon nanotubes and graphene.
Function: Providing controlled growth of carbon nanostructures.
Application: Critically important for characterizing the morphology of synthesized materials.
Function: Visualization of nanostructures with high resolution.
The conducted scientometric analysis clearly demonstrates profound changes in the global scientific landscape of carbon nanostructure research during the 2000-2015 period. The center of gravity of research has irreversibly shifted to the Asian region, and not only in terms of volume indicators but also in terms of quality indicators.
However, the USA and Europe retain significant competitive advantages in producing the highest quality knowledge, as evidenced by their indicators of contribution to the top-1% of most cited publications. The Singaporean phenomenon is especially impressive—demonstrating that even a relatively small country can achieve outstanding results with the right science policy.
For Russia, the results of the analysis are both a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, they show a gradual loss of competitive positions and the need for reforms. On the other hand, they point to development potential that can be realized with the right concentration of resources and efforts.
The future of carbon nanostructure research is seen in enhancing interdisciplinarity and international collaboration. No single country can monopolize such a complex and rapidly developing field of knowledge.
Cooperation, not competition, is becoming the key principle of nanoscience development in the 21st century.
In the third part of our research, we will examine in more detail the main Russian participants in carbon nanostructure research, organizations funding their study, and compare the topics of projects of Russian and American scientific foundations 2 .