Iodine

Iodine (I) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years

Research intensity on iodine currently stands at about 20% of the element's own all-time peak, a level that has remained essentially flat over the last decade.

Research intensity ran from about 21% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 20% in 2026 — essentially flat across the window, and the all-time peak (1964) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements held steady. Among the 118 elements, iodine has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 32,225 in 2016 to about 58,957 in 2025 (1.83x). That is slower than the literature as a whole grew over the same years, so the element lost ground in the wider body of research even as its own count rose.

The largest share of iodine research belongs to the community of Iodine Nutrition, Thyroid Health, and Antiseptic Applications. Here, iodine is central to the work, appearing in about 76% of the community's papers, which focus on treatments for Graves' disease and the use of sodium iodide in clinical settings. This community accounts for about 23% of the element's recent research, a decline from about 31% in the previous period. A 2024 JAMA review on thyroid cancer, cited over 630 times, anchors this field, alongside the 2016 American Thyroid Association guidelines, cited over 2,800 times.

A significant portion of the literature is dedicated to Iodide Perovskite Thin Films for Photovoltaics. In this context, iodine is a minor presence in a much larger community, involved in only about 9% of its papers, yet it is critical for the synthesis and stability of lead and tin iodide perovskite thin films. This community holds about 17% of iodine's recent research, down from about 23% previously. The field is anchored by a 2017 Science paper on iodide management in perovskite layers, cited over 5,400 times, and more recent work such as a 2025 Science study on homogenized chlorine distribution, cited over 320 times.

Iodine is also central to the research on Porous Organic Materials for Iodine Capture and Atmospheric Halogen Chemistry, where it appears in about 41% of the community's papers. This work emphasizes the adsorption of iodine and methyl iodide using organic polymers and metal-organic frameworks. This community's share of iodine research has risen to about 15%, up from about 10% in the earlier period. Key papers include a 2022 Chemical Society Reviews article on iodine adsorption in metal–organic frameworks, cited over 550 times, and a 2024 Nature Communications study on engineering pore environments for iodine capture, cited over 160 times.

Finally, iodine plays a supporting role in Iodine Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries, where it is a minor presence in about 5% of the community's papers. This research develops iodine-based cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion cells, focusing on redox chemistry and mitigating iodine shuttle effects. This is a rapidly growing area, with its share of iodine research rising from about 1% to about 7%. A 2024 Small review on advances in aqueous zinc ion batteries, cited over 250 times, represents the current state of this emerging field.

Overall, the composition of iodine research is shifting. While the traditional fields of nutrition and perovskite solar cells are losing relative share, the literature is consolidating around iodine capture materials and emerging battery technologies. The window's most-cited paper, a 2017 study on iodide management in perovskite layers, remains the cornerstone of the element's recent scientific impact.

For a deeper look at iodine's current standing, see the Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.