Promethium

Promethium (Pm) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years

Research intensity has held steady at about 16% of the element's own all-time peak, a level that has remained flat across the decade.

Research intensity ran from about 16% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 16% 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 rose. Among the 118 elements, promethium has one of the smaller research literatures of any element.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 79 in 2016 to about 148 in 2025 (1.87x). 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 research landscape is defined by promethium’s role as a minor component within broader nuclear and materials science fields. The largest community, Synthesis and Decay of Superheavy Elements and Heavy-Ion Collision Physics, accounts for about 18.6% of the element's recent research, a share that has risen from 12.5% in the previous period. Promethium is a minor presence in this much larger community, with under 1% of its papers involving the element. Key work includes a 2019 study on atomic transitions and ionization potential, cited about 13 times, and a 2026 analysis of rotational structure in neutron-deficient nuclei, not yet cited.

Actinide Chemistry and Nuclear Fuel Materials represents about 16.3% of recent research, holding steady from a previous share of 12.5%. Here, promethium is also a minor presence, with under 1% of community papers involving it. A notable contribution is a 2024 paper in Nature observing a promethium complex in solution, cited about 43 times, alongside a 2024 study on tetramethyl diglycolamide complexes, cited about 7 times.

Integrated Photonics Platforms and Nonlinear Optical Materials has seen its share decline to about 9.3% from 18.8%. Promethium remains a minor presence, with under 1% of papers in this field involving it. Research includes a 2024 simulation of a betavoltaic cell powered by promethium-147, cited about 8 times, and a 2020 review on promethium's chemical character, cited about 32 times.

Rare-Earth Recovery from Industrial Waste and Secondary Sources has declined significantly, dropping to about 7.0% of recent research from a previous 25.0%. Promethium is a minor presence here as well, with under 1% of papers involving the element. Significant work includes a 2020 study on lanthanide-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases, cited about 70 times, and a 2018 paper on lanthanide ion speciation, cited about 55 times.

Radioligand Therapy and Nuclear Imaging for Prostate, Thyroid, and Neuroendocrine Cancers accounts for about 4.7% of recent research, down from 12.5%. Promethium is a minor presence, with under 1% of papers in this community involving it. A 2026 feasibility study on promethium-149 production for theranostic applications, cited once, highlights this niche interest, alongside a 2020 study on separating exotic radiolanthanides, cited about 16 times.

Overall, the composition of promethium research has shifted away from rare-earth recovery and photonics applications, consolidating instead in nuclear physics and actinide chemistry. The remainder of the literature, comprising other smaller communities, now holds about 44.2% of the element's research, up from 18.8%.

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