Substance-Based Bibliometrics: Identifying Research Gaps by Counting and Analyzing Substances

Fabrication and characterization of glucose-oxidase-trehalase electrode based on nanomaterial-coated carbon paper

Multienzyme systems are essential for utilizing di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides as fuels in enzymatic fuel cells effectively. However, the transfer of electrons generated by one enzymatic reaction in a multienzyme cascade at the electrode may be impeded by other enzymes, potentially hindering the overall efficiency. In this study, carbon paper was first modified by incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) sequentially. Subsequently, glucose oxidase (GOx) and a trehalase-gelatin mixture were immobilized separately on the nanostructured carbon paper via layer-by-layer adsorption to mitigate the electron transfer hindrance caused by trehalase. The anode was first fabricated by immobilizing GOx and trehalase on the modified carbon paper, and the cathode was then fabricated by immobilizing bilirubin oxidase on the nanostructured electrode. The SWCNTs and AuNPs were distributed adequately on the electrode surface, which improved the electrode performance, as demonstrated by electrochemical and morphological analyses. An enzymatic fuel cell was assembled and tested using trehalose as the fuel, and a maximum power density of 23 μW cm-2 was obtained at a discharge current density of 60 μA cm-2. The anode exhibited remarkable reusability and stability.

Citations to chemical databases in scholarly articles: to cite or not to cite?

Purpose

Chemical databases have had a significant impact on the way scientists search for and use information. The purpose of this paper is to spark informed discussion and fuel debate on the issue of citations to chemical databases.

Design/methodology/approach

A citation analysis to four major chemical databases was undertaken to examine resource coverage and impact in the scientific literature. Two commercial databases (SciFinder and Reaxys) and two public databases (PubChem and ChemSpider) were analyzed using the “Cited Reference Search” in the Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science (WoS) database. Citations to these databases between 2000 and 2016 (inclusive) were evaluated by document types and publication growth curves. A review of the distribution trends of chemical databases in peer-reviewed articles was conducted through a citation count analysis by country, organization, journal and WoS category.

Findings

In total, 862 scholarly articles containing a citation to one or more of the four databases were identified as only steadily increasing since 2000. The study determined that authors at academic institutions worldwide reference chemical databases in high-impact journals from notable publishers and mainly in the field of chemistry.

Originality/value

The research is a first attempt to evaluate the practice of citation to major chemical databases in the scientific literature. This paper proposes that citing chemical databases gives merit and recognition to the resources as well as credibility and validity to the scholarly communication process and also further discusses recommendations for citing and referencing databases.