Nitrogen

Nitrogen (N) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years

Nitrogen’s research intensity stands at about 79% of its all-time peak, a level that has climbed steadily since 2016, even though the element’s historical high was set in 1985.

Research intensity ran from about 59% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 79% in 2026 — a net rise with setbacks along the way, and the all-time peak (1985) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements rose. Among the 118 elements, nitrogen has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 222,572 in 2016 to about 547,545 in 2025 (2.46x). 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 largest share of recent nitrogen research belongs to the community focused on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Soil, Water and Agriculture. This work centers on biological nitrogen processes, ammonia nitrogen, and autotrophic denitrification, where nitrogen is central to the field, appearing in about 32% of its papers. This community holds about 20% of the element's recent research, a steady share compared to the previous period. A key anchor is "The microbial nitrogen-cycling network" (2018), cited over 4,500 times, alongside recent work on cost-effective mitigation of nitrogen pollution from global croplands (2023), cited over 650 times.

A second major area is Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors for Power Electronics and Ultraviolet Optoelectronics. Here, nitrogen is central to the community, involved in about 56% of its papers, with distinctive focus on GaN electron mobility and power devices. This community accounts for about 16% of the element's recent research, remaining steady despite a slight dip from its earlier share of 17%. The field is anchored by "A review of Ga2O3 materials, processing, and devices" (2018), cited over 3,100 times, and the recent "Principles of Power Electronics" (2023), cited over 1,300 times.

The fastest-growing segment is Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction and Ammonia Synthesis. Nitrogen is central here as well, involved in about 55% of the community's papers, with research driven by electrochemical ammonia production and nitrate electroreduction under ambient conditions. This community’s share of nitrogen research has risen significantly, from about 10% to 15% of the element's recent work. Key papers include "Electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrate reduction on Fe single atom catalyst" (2021), cited over 1,500 times, and "Ultralow overpotential nitrate reduction to ammonia via a three-step relay mechanism" (2023), cited over 940 times.

Conversely, Hexagonal Boron Nitride and Phase Change Materials for Thermal Management and Energy Storage has seen a decline in its share of nitrogen research, falling from about 18% to 12%. Nitrogen remains central to this community, involved in about 49% of its papers, particularly in the context of nitride nanosheets and functionalized boron structures. The community is anchored by "Structure, Properties and Applications of Two‐Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride" (2021), cited over 860 times.

Overall, the composition of nitrogen research is shifting toward electrocatalytic applications while maintaining strong foundations in agricultural cycling and semiconductor materials. The remainder of the literature, comprising about 36% of recent research, remains steady.

For a deeper look at the current state of nitrogen research, see the element's Last 12 Months report or Executive Brief.