Molecules in Wikipedia: Analysis of Their Chemical Diversity, Functional Roles, and Popularity

Wikipedia is one of the most widely accessed sources
of information
worldwide, containing nearly 25,000 molecular entries spanning drugs,
natural products, specialty chemicals, and other compounds. Despite
its prominence, the chemical content of Wikipedia has not been systematically
studied. In this work, we analyzed molecular entries and classified
them into use categories, providing a first overview of their roles
and applications. Structural diversity was examined using scaffold
analysis and UMAP visualization, which revealed well-defined clusters
corresponding to major chemical classes. In addition, Wikipedia pageview
statistics were analyzed to explore the popularity of molecular entries.
These data revealed a strong public focus on CNS-active drugs, recreational
substances, and molecules with current medical or cultural relevance,
while industrial and specialty chemicals attracted comparatively little
attention. Overall, our findings show that Wikipedia offers both a
chemically diverse and socially informative perspective on molecules,
making it a unique resource at the intersection of chemistry, open
data, and public knowledge.