Mapping the Global Research Landscape of Green Hydrogen Technologies: A Comprehensive Scientometric Study

Abstract: Green hydrogen technology has emerged as a critical pathway for achieving carbon neutrality goals and has become a global research hotspot. However, systematic analysis of the research evolution trajectory and knowledge structure in this field remains insufficient. This study employs CiteSpace software to conduct scientometric analysis on 9,545 green hydrogen technology publications from the Web of Science database spanning 2010-2024, revealing the development dynamics from multiple dimensions including publication statistics, collaboration networks, co-citation relationships, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The findings demonstrate explosive growth in green hydrogen technology research, with annual publications surging from 43 in 2010 to 3,267 in 2024, exhibiting significant interdisciplinary characteristics. Collaboration network analysis indicates that the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the United States, and Germany play pivotal roles in global cooperation, though the depth of international collaboration requires enhancement. Co-citation analysis reveals that the most frequently cited authors are not necessarily the most influential in network terms, while highly cited journals typically possess elevated academic impact factors. Keyword evolution analysis shows that research focus is shifting from fundamental theory toward electrocatalyst optimization, system integration, and industrial applications. Compared to previous studies, this work represents the first comprehensive construction of a panoramic knowledge framework for green hydrogen technology research. The study systematically analyzes collaboration patterns, knowledge foundations, and development trends in this field, identifies current challenges including imbalanced international cooperation and fragmented knowledge structures, and predicts future research directions such as electrocatalytic technology breakthroughs and systematic energy optimization. These findings provide scientific guidance for advancing both theoretical development and industrialization processes of green hydrogen technology.