Nickel

Nickel (Ni) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-25 · the last 10 years

Nickel’s research intensity currently sits at about 71% of its all-time peak, a level that has held steady since the element’s historic high in 1973.

Research intensity ran from about 68% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 71% in 2026 — flat overall, with some movement in between, and the all-time peak (1973) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements held steady. Among the 118 elements, nickel has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 34,177 in 2016 to about 80,697 in 2025 (2.36x). 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 core of nickel’s recent research is anchored in three distinct communities. The largest is Nickel-Based Superalloys in Turbine Blade Engineering, which accounts for about 11% of the element's recent research. This work focuses on the microstructure evolution and mechanical behavior of single-crystal nickel superalloys, distinct from the broader additive manufacturing context. Nickel is a minor presence in this much larger community, appearing in about 7% of its papers. The field’s most cited work includes a 2016 critical review of high entropy alloys, cited over 9,000 times, and a 2023 state-of-the-art review on additive manufacturing, cited over 500 times.

A second major area is Nickel Foam and Hydroxide Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Water Splitting, representing about 11% of recent research. Here, nickel serves as a substrate for hydroxides and phosphides used in oxygen and hydrogen evolution. Nickel is a minor presence in this community as well, involved in about 9% of its papers. Key contributions include a 2024 review on precious metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts, cited over 480 times, and a 2025 study on polyoxometalated metal-organic frameworks, cited over 290 times.

The third significant community is Nickel Photoredox and Cross-Electrophile Coupling in Organic Synthesis, holding about 8% of the research share. This group explores nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling and photoredox dual catalysis for forming carbon-carbon bonds. Nickel is a minor presence here, appearing in about 4% of the community's papers. Notable work includes a 2020 study on enantioselective reductive cross-coupling, cited over 610 times, and a 2025 paper on nickel-electrocatalyzed C–H activation, cited about 60 times.

Across these three named communities, the composition of nickel’s literature has remained stable, with each group maintaining a steady share of the element's research output. The remaining 70% of nickel’s recent research is distributed across other smaller communities, a broad and diversified scientific engagement with the element.

For a deeper look at nickel's current standing, see the Last 12 Months report or the Executive Brief.