A new bibliometric analysis has mapped more than a decade of research on bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), covering 2532 articles indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 2014 and 2025 within a predefined, application-oriented search scope.
The study, published in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research, was carried out by Yi Feng, Zhongcheng Song, Jie Chen, Yajie Zhou, Mingsong Li and Lixia Sun. It uses CiteSpace to examine publication trends, collaboration networks, co-citation structures, keyword co-occurrence and citation bursts across the corpus.
BiFeO3 is a room-temperature multiferroic oxide with coupled ferroic, semiconducting, dielectric and optoelectronic properties, which the authors note makes it relevant to several functional-material applications investigated within the selected literature corpus.
The analysis found sustained growth in publication activity over the study period, alongside a collaboration network that the authors describe as geographically concentrated but internationally connected.
In terms of intellectual structure, the co-citation analysis links classical multiferroic physics with more recent work on nanoscale modification, photocatalysis, heterojunction engineering and energy-related applications.
Keyword and burst analyses indicate a gradual shift in emphasis, from structural characterization and intrinsic properties toward interfacial engineering and application-driven studies. Heterojunction-related research remains prominent, while energy-storage and photoelectrocatalytic topics have gained recent attention.
The authors caution that these patterns should be interpreted as trends within the selected corpus rather than as a complete chronology of the entire BiFeO3 field, since the analysis was restricted to a predefined, application-oriented search scope.
Overall, the study provides a quantitative map of an application-oriented segment of BiFeO3 research and identifies areas in which stronger links between fundamental multiferroic studies and functional applications may be particularly valuable.
Subject of Research: Bibliometric mapping of application-oriented bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) research from 2014 to 2025
Article Title: Bibliometric mapping of application-oriented bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), 2014–2025: knowledge structure and emerging trends
Article References: Feng, Y., Song, Z., Chen, J., Zhou, Y., Li, M., & Sun, L. (2026). Bibliometric mapping of application-oriented bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), 2014–2025: knowledge structure and emerging trends. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 28(11), Article 280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-026-06800-0
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1007/s11051-026-06800-0
Keywords: bismuth ferrite, BiFeO3, bibliometrics, CiteSpace, multiferroics, photocatalysis, heterojunctions, energy storage, Web of Science, citation bursts, Bibliometric, mapping
News Source: Denise Maddox. (October 29, 2026). Bibliometric map traces a decade of application-oriented bismuth ferrite research. Scienmag.
