Análise bibliométrica das tendências e perspectivas da aplicação de aerogéis na engenharia química

Abstract

This research presents a bibliometric analysis of aerogels within the field of Chemical Engineering, with emphasis on their environmental applications and their connection to nanotechnology. The study encompasses publications indexed in the ScienceDirect database between 2015 and 2025. The objective was to identify scientific trends, geographic distribution of production, the most influential authors and institutions, the most impactful journals, and the central themes emerging in the development and application of these materials. The methodology involved a structured search, filtering based on thematic, temporal, and access criteria, followed by data collection and analysis using bibliometric indicators. The final sample consisted of 33 articles selected from more than 6,556 initially identified publications. The findings revealed a significant increase in scientific output during the analyzed period, with most publications and citations concentrated in Asian and European countries, particularly China, Iran, Portugal, and Germany. The most recurrent keywords indicated strong interest in nanotechnology, adsorption, environmental remediation, carbon aerogels, graphene, and applications in wastewater treatment. The analysis also highlighted important gaps in the literature, such as the lack of studies on industrial scale-up, life cycle assessments (LCA), standardization of experimental metrics, and material performance under real operating conditions. It is concluded that aerogels represent a rapidly expanding and highly promising research field for Chemical Engineering, especially in the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. The results of this study contribute to understanding the current state of the field and indicate strategic directions for future research.