Elucidating carbon dot research coupled with bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Over the past two decades, carbon dots (CDs) have been a subject of extensive research. Despite this progress, a holistic view of the research trajectory and future directions remains elusive. In an effort of shedding light on the evolution of CD research, herein an objective and comprehensive analysis was conducted using bibliometric techniques. By examining the relationships among different research components such as publications, citations, authors, institutions, and keywords, research questions related to identifying trends, key themes, prominent journals, influential authors and the overall intellectual structure of CD research has been addressed. This involved examining 24,599 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection spanning from 2004 to 2024. These publications represent the collective work of approximately 66,000 authors from around 8,000 institutions across 115 countries. China accounted for nearly 50 % of these publications, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences standing out as the most prolific institution. Authors with nine or more publications emerged as the core authors. Publications were categorized in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The primary areas of CD research have been identified as synthesis (emphasizing green, simple, and hydrothermal methods), sensing capabilities, photoluminescence properties, photocatalytic activity, composite materials, drug delivery systems, and bioimaging techniques. Lastly, the factual state of CD research has been subjectively stated quite briefly.