Potassium

Potassium (K) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years

Potassium’s research intensity has steadily declined, sitting at about 32% of its all-time peak, a level last seen in 1960.

Research intensity ran from about 38% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 32% in 2026 — a steady decline, and the all-time peak (1960) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements held steady. Among the 118 elements, potassium has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 56,146 in 2016 to about 135,481 in 2025 (2.41x). That matches the growth of the literature as a whole over the same years: the general tide of scientific output, not a surge specific to the element.

The element’s recent research is anchored by three distinct communities. The largest is Potassium-Ion Anode Materials and Battery Storage, which focuses on porous carbon anodes and potassium metal electrodes for high-performance batteries. Potassium is one strand of this broader community, appearing in about 18% of its papers. This community’s share of potassium-specific research has been declining, dropping from about 29% in the earlier period to about 19% recently. A key paper in this area is "Recent advances in rational design for high-performance potassium-ion batteries" (2024), cited over 360 times.

The second major community is Potassium Fertilization and Nutrient Efficiency in Crop Yields. These papers examine potassium fertilizer application, uptake efficiency, and interactions with nitrogen to optimize crop growth. Here, potassium is a minor presence in a much larger community, involved in about 8% of its papers. Its share of potassium research has remained steady at about 15%. This field is well-represented by "Drought Stress Impacts on Plants and Different Approaches to Alleviate Its Adverse Effects" (2021), cited over 1,900 times.

The third community is Potassium Channel Subtypes in Electrophysiology, which characterizes voltage-gated and calcium-activated potassium currents. Potassium is one strand of this broader community, appearing in about 29% of its papers. Its share of potassium research has held steady at about 15%. A significant contribution here is "Treatment of Hypertension" (2022), cited over 440 times.

Overall, the composition of potassium research has shifted slightly away from battery materials toward other areas, which now hold about 50% of the element's recent research compared to 41% previously. The remaining communities have maintained stable shares.

For a deeper look at the current state of potassium research, see the Last 12 Months and Executive Brief reports.