The emergence of graphene research topics through interactions within and beyond

Abstract Scientific research is an essential stage of the innovation process. However, it remains unclear how a scientific idea becomes applied knowledge and, after that, a commercial product. This paper describes a hypothesis of innovation based on the emergence of new research fields from more mature research fields after interactions between the latter. We focus on graphene, a rising field in materials science, as a case study. First, we used a coclustering method on titles and abstracts of graphene papers to organize them into four meaningful and robust topics (theory and experimental tests, synthesis and functionalization, sensors, and supercapacitors and electrocatalysts). We also demonstrated that they emerged in the order listed. We then tested all topics against the literature on nanotubes and batteries, and the possible parent fields of theory and experimental tests, as well as supercapacitors and electrocatalysts. We found incubation signatures for all topics in the nanotube papers collection and weaker incubation signatures for supercapacitors and electrocatalysts in the battery papers collection. Surprisingly, we found and confirmed that the 2004 breakthrough in graphene created a stir in both the nanotube and battery fields. Our findings open the door for a better understanding of how and why new research fields coalesce.