Cobalt

Cobalt (Co) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-25 · the last 10 years

Cobalt’s research intensity stands at about 68% of its all-time peak, a level reached through a steady climb over the last decade, though its all-time high was set in 1974.

Research intensity ran from about 61% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 68% in 2026 — a steady climb, and the all-time peak (1974) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements held steady. Among the 118 elements, cobalt has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 19,019 in 2016 to about 49,357 in 2025 (2.6x). That is faster than the literature as a whole grew over the same years, so the element gained ground in the wider body of research.

The core of cobalt’s recent research is defined by its role in energy storage and conversion. The largest material community is Cobalt Oxide and Phosphide Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution, where cobalt oxide, phosphide, and sulfide compounds serve as active sites for the oxygen evolution reaction in water splitting. Here, cobalt is a minor presence in a much larger community—about 7% of its papers involve cobalt—yet it accounts for about 10.5% of the element’s recent research, a share that has remained steady. This work is anchored by a 2023 Science paper on La- and Mn-doped cobalt spinel oxygen evolution catalysts, cited over 820 times, and a 2024 study on water-hydroxide trapping in cobalt tungstate, cited over 470 times.

A second significant area is Cobalt Oxide and Sulfide Electrodes for Supercapacitors, focusing on cobalt oxides, sulfides, and layered double hydroxides as active electrode materials in hybrid supercapacitors. Cobalt is a minor presence in this community as well—about 9% of its papers involve cobalt—representing about 7.1% of the element’s recent research, which has also held steady. Key work includes a 2024 paper on zinc selenide/cobalt selenide in nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks, cited over 220 times.

The third named community is Cobalt Photoredox and Enantioselective Catalysis, where research centers on cobalt-catalyzed enantioselective transformations and photoredox dual catalysis. Cobalt is a minor presence here—about 3% of its papers involve cobalt—accounting for about 6.1% of the element’s recent research, a share that has remained steady. This field is highlighted by a 2023 Science paper on enantioselective electrochemical cobalt-catalyzed aryl C–H activation reactions, cited over 290 times.

Overall, the composition of cobalt’s research has remained remarkably stable, with the three named communities holding their shares and the remainder of the literature—comprising other smaller groups—accounting for about 76.3% of recent work. For a deeper look at the current state of cobalt research, see the Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.