The current state of bacterial nanocellulose research: a scientometric analysis
摘要
Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a versatile biopolymer with diverse applications across various domains. The global market for BNC is currently valued at approximately USD 300 million, and projections suggest that it could grow to USD 750 million by 2032. Given its increasing importance and relevance, there is a pressing need to comprehensively examine the current BNC landscape. This study aimed to conduct an original scientometric analysis of BNC research, utilizing data from the Web of Science Core Collection, focuses on the most recent 20 years to provide a comprehensive view of contemporary trends and developments in the field, covering from 2006 to March 2024. This analysis employed Topic Search term “bacterial nanocellulose”, since this term is increasingly used to distinguish this material from plant-derived cellulose. A total of 1796 documents was selected, which were refined to 959 for further analysis using CiteSpace (6.3. R2) and Excel (2016). English was the predominant language, and articles were the most prevalent document type. Notably, citations and publications exhibited a consistent upward trend from 2013 to 2024, reflecting global research trends. A correlation was observed between publication volume and investments in nanotechnology, with China and the USA emerging as leading contributors. These countries showed different research trends: China led a group focusing on composite membranes, the USA spearheaded researched on BNC scaffolds, India concentrated on biodegradable food packaging, and groups in Iran and Portugal explored bone tissue engineering. Regarding research frequency, the most prominent areas were polymers, applied and multidisciplinary chemistry, and materials sciences. However, biotechnology, biochemistry, and molecular biology were identified as the most influential fields. In conclusion, this scientometric study provides valuable insights into the key factors shaping the current state of BNC research, offering guidance for researchers and professionals.