Sulfur

Sulfur (S) — 10-Year Trends

As of 2026-09-11 · the last 10 years

Research intensity stands at about 50% of the element's own all-time peak, a level reached after a steady decline from 61% in 2016, with the historical peak occurring in 1990, well before this window.

Research intensity ran from about 61% of the element's own all-time peak in 2016 to about 50% in 2026 — a steady decline, and the all-time peak (1990) lies before this window. Over the same span its share of research attention across all elements held steady. Among the 118 elements, sulfur has a larger-than-average research literature.

The number of papers involving the element rose from about 88,963 in 2016 to about 205,322 in 2025 (2.31x). 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 sulfur research in the last decade has been Sulfur Cathode Materials and Polysulfide Kinetics in Lithium Batteries. In this community, sulfur serves as the cathode active material, with research focused on host structures and electrolytes that manage polysulfide conversion and redox kinetics. Sulfur is one strand of a broader community -- about 26% of its papers involve sulfur. While this area accounted for about 24% of the element's recent research, its share has declined from 59% in the previous period. A key anchor is the 2022 paper "Formulating energy density for designing practical lithium–sulfur batteries," cited over 980 times, alongside the 2024 Nature study "Establishing reaction networks in the 16-electron sulfur reduction reaction," cited over 560 times.

A second major area is Hydrogen Sulfide and Reactive Sulfur Species in Biological Sensing and Therapy. Here, sulfur is central to the community -- about 70% of its papers involve sulfur. This research focuses on endogenous hydrogen sulfide and sulfane sulfur, often utilizing near-infrared fluorescent probes to study oxidative stress and sulfide production. This community represents about 8% of the element's recent research, a steady share compared to the previous period. Notable work includes the 2022 review "Physiological roles of hydrogen sulfide in mammalian cells, tissues, and organs," cited over 540 times, and the 2024 paper "Hydrogen sulfide protects cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin-induced ferroptosis," cited over 210 times.

A third distinct area is Sulfur-Driven Autotrophic Denitrification in Wastewater Treatment. These papers use elemental sulfur and sulfide as electron donors to drive biological nitrogen removal in wastewater systems. Sulfur is a minor presence in a much larger community -- about 4% of its papers involve sulfur. This area holds about 5% of the element's recent research, a steady share relative to the previous period. Key contributions include the 2023 paper "The effects of pH on nutrient availability depend on both soils and plants," cited over 420 times, and the 2024 review "Diversity and ecology of microbial sulfur metabolism," cited over 220 times.

Overall, the composition of sulfur research has shifted significantly. The lithium battery community, once the dominant focus, has lost substantial share, while the "Other research communities" category has risen to hold about 63% of the element's recent research, indicating a broadening of sulfur's application across diverse fields.

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