Current CX3mrnerits” EUGENE GARFIELD INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC INFO%JATIGW3 3501 MARKET ST. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19104 The 19S6 Most-Cited Chemistry Articles: Enzymes in Organic Synthesis and Odd-Cluster Soot Up, While Superconductivity Disappears (For Now) Number 27 jll!y 8, 1991 Current Contents Q readers are generally aware of our amual series listing papers that have been “most-cited” in the last two or three years. For reasons that have been dis- cussed frequently,I the “immediacy” of most hot papers in chemistry can lag by more than a year behind those in physics or the life sciences. The essay that follows should have appeared last year, shortly after the appearance of the 1989 Science Citation Index @. However, in publishing it now, we are able to include supplemental informa- tion on the status of the citations to these papers for the years 1989 and 1990. The delay in publishing this putative list of Cita- tion Classics @ in chemistry demonstrates more forcefully the characteristic delay mentioned above. The most-cited paper on the list received 99 citations by the end of Zvi Sza@m 1988. By the end of 1990, it had received an additional 138. term born out of a conversation I had with AS you can see, chemists, earth scientists, Robert K. Merton and Ihriet Zuckerrnan,3 and others are more than justified in envy- in 1980-a term that describes individuals, ing the prominence of life scientists in rank- “...who are peers of prizewinners in every ings that do not take this inherent delay fac- sense except that of having the award.”1 In tor into account. Nevertheless, these fact, two fmt authors, B.M. Trost and disciplinary listings are useful in highlight- M.J.S. Dewar, and one coauthor, J.A. Pople, ing areas of the always-changing map of the were singled out by The Scientis? as likely world of chemical scienws and technology. candidates for the 1990 Nobel Priz.e.5 As with the 1984 papers relating to the Instead of a typical scientometric analysis, outer electron orbital shells of organic we asked Zvi Szafian, chairman of the De- groups of metal-ligand fragments, research pwhrtent of Chemistry, Merrimack College, in this 1986 group may presage a Nobel North Andover, Massachusetts, to prepare Prize in chemistry.z One author, D.J. Cram, this essay on the most-cited chemistry arti- has already won a Nobel Prize in chemistry. cles. Szafran, who earned his PhD in physi- As judged by their citation counts, six oth- cal inorganic chemistry in 1981 from the ers are certainly of Nobel class. This is a University of South Carolimt Columbia is 106 one of the original implementers of make these listings seem even more “histor- microscaie inorganic chemistry. He also icaL”6 Every few months, Science Wdtch conducts research in the area of organobo- provides a list of “Hot Papers” in the chemi- ron synthesis and nuclear magnetic reso- cal sciences. These are about a year old an~ nance. He is especially interested in mole- undoubtedly, many will make it to these cules wherein an electron-rich organic most-cited lists. It will be usetid to make group is bonded to the electron-deficient these comparisons once the two lists begin boron noiety. to converge. Science Watch provides an In closing, it is important to note that early warning on what may prove to be en- I! S?@’spu Iication Science Watch@ may tirely new fronts a few years later. 0191 r9 REFERENCES 1. GarfteJd E. The rmrst-cited 1987 physical-sciences articles supereorrek+tivity supersedes srrpawrings. Current Contents (18):3-14, 30 April IWO. 2---------- . ‘he most-cited 1984 chemistry article-s1984-1986: orgsnic superconduc$om snd a pntpourri of ckdity, frsczds, ad smog. CrwrerrtContents (3883-14, 19 Se@ember 198R (Reprinted in: Essays afm inforrnatiarr scientist: science literacy policy, evaluation, and other essays. Philsdslphia 1S1Press, 1990 Vol. 11. p. 299-310.) 3, --------- . Are the 1979 prizewinners afNabel clad Cuverrt Contents (38)5-13,22 September 1980. (Reprinted in [bid., 1981. Vol. 4. p, 609- 17.) 4. Zrrcketman H. Scientific eiite. New Yartc Free Press. )977. p. 42. 5. Martello A. scientists with the right chemistry to win a Nobel Priz. T/w Scientist 4(18):16-7, 17 September 1993. 6. Garfkld Z. Announcing Science Watch a uniqoe newsletta tnxking trends and perfornrsmmin scientific researd. Current Contents (4):3-7, 22 Janusty 1990. The 1984 Chemistry Articles Moat Cited 1986-1988, Pius 19$9-1990 Data: Catalysts, Chmters, Kinetics, and Theory ZviSZafran De@ment of Chemistry Merrimack College North Andover, MA 01845 Current Contents @ has regularly identi- papers continue to include the Journal of fied and discussed papers in cher&ry that Chemical Physics and the Journal of Physi- become highly cited soon after their initial cal Chemistry (see Tabie 1). The most-cited publication. The two most recent examples paper of ail, “Enzymes in organic synthesis” concerned 1984 chemistry papers most by J. Bryan Jones, University of Toronto, cited from 1984 to 19861 and 1985 chemis- Ontario, Canad& is also interdisciplinary try articles most cited from 1985 to 1987.2 but appeared in Tetrahedron. ‘ilk essay covers the 1986 chemistry tuti- The 101 papers listed blow received a cles most cited from 1986 to 1988, As be- median of 42 citations and an average of fore, this does not merely invoive determin- 45.4 (4.4 citations in i986, i8.4 in 1987, ing a suitabie citation threshoid for and 22.6 in 1988). The numbers ranged inclusion in this essay. An in-house subset from a high of 99 to a low of 35 citations, of the Science Citation [ndex @’known as the threshoid value for inciusion. Not sur- the “Chemis@y Citation Index” is used to pnsingiy, no fewer than 29 of the papers are limit the seiection to chemistry. Nonethe- review papers, including the two most cited. less, the interdisciplinary nature of chemical The second most-cited paper, by Roger At- research is still apparent. The journals pub- kinson, University of Caiifomi% Riverside, lishing the largest number of highiy cited appred in Chemical Reviews, which to- 107 BibUograpby: Tbe 1986 cbemivtry arfidea most dted in tbe SCI’, 1986-19S$. tiles arelisted in alpbabelic mix by fmt author. Numbers following the WlbliograpMc entry indicate tk 1986, 1987, and 1988 SCVSXIs resarch-front specialties for which these arr core papm. A= 1986 citations B=1987 citaaona. C= 1988 chationa. D=t@ 19861988 citations. *1989 citations. =1990 citatiom. G=total 1986-1990 citations. ABC DEFG Bibfiogmpbic Data 3152139272086 Afexakia A, Berian J & Besare Y. Orgarmcopprrcmjugate addition nxtiom in thr preserweof hirnethylchlomsikme. Trtmhedmn LQtt27:1047-543, 1986.88-0529 4 17 021171957 Andrierrx C P, GaUsrdo L Srrw%ttJ-M & Su K-B. Disa.xiative electron transfer.Homogenemra and hetemgcncoua reductive clravage of the mdmn-brdogen bmxf in simple aliphatic halides. J. Arna Chsrn..%x. 108638-47, 1986.87-0366,88-0451 93346883953M3 Atklnvon R. Kinclica and mrcbaniims of the gas-phase mwtiona of the hydmx yl rtxlical with wganir compounds turdcratmospheric ronditiom. Chem. Rev.86:69-201, 1986.87-1336, 8&1401 1161835213086 Bafasubrsmrmbm K. CAS SCXI cakrdadona of low-lying staresof SnH2. Chart Phys. Mr. 127:585-9, 1986.87-16113 614365649811S6 Sax A & Summers M F. ‘H arrd‘W aaaignrrtemvfmm scnaitivity-rmlmnmd detection of betcmnudem muhiple-bcmd connectivity by 2D multiple quarrtmnNMR. J. Amez C/rem tic. IOK2(W3-$, 1986.88-2043 015213610 7 53 Blnger P, Mifcrarek ~ Mynott If+Regfts M & R&b W. 1,3diph0sphacyc10buradi-bah(I) complexes fmm @osphaa@rrs. Angew. C/rem.Int. Ed 25:644-5, 1986. 7121736161062 Boxer S G, Lddwt D J & MkfdendorfT R RIc40chcmical tmle-bimring in @xmynthetk retwtioncentem Chern. Phys. Leer. 123:47682, 1986. 512183S1211S8 Breckenridge W w Jouvet C & .%ep B. ChWdly aeleclive rbcmiral rrachon in Hg-Hz van&r Waals complexes. J. Chern Phys W 1443-50, 1986.88-3141 14 13 23 50 21 16 S7 Brucat PJ, Zbeng LS, Petliette CL YrmgS&S nmOeyRl LMemlchseer ion phototktgmentation. J. Chem, Phys. @dW78-88, 1986. 8201644221177 Brurm JW, Smitb GM, Marks TJ, Fair C& SdmfkAJ&WiffismaJ M. C-H aaivaticm mecbanisma and regimekztivity in the cyclomctalarirsr reactions of bia(pNamed2ykyclopentadienyI)tborium didkyl complexes. J. Amer.CherrLSm. 1084W%, 1986. 2 25 24 51 27 35 113 Brus L. Ekctmnic wave functicmsin aemiccmduaor chrsttm experiment and theory. J, Phys. Cherrr.902555-60,1986.87-3447, 88-17&$ 16 13 27 56 18 27 101 Budmnsn J M, Stryker J M & Bergman R G. A stmctural,kinetic, and rhermcdymamicstudy of the mvezsible dwnrml C-H iwbvadc.nhducrive elimination of alkancs at iridium. J. Arrw Chsm SOC 108:1537-54, 1986. 320194212660 Burfingmne A L Bofllie T A & Derrick PJ. Maas spectmmtry. And. Chem 58:165R-21 lIL 1986. 87-W76, 88-3459 3 7253512956 ButIec L J, TkIch T M, Likar M D & Crim F F. Vlbmdonal OV@OLW spectroscopy of brsmd and prcdiaaociative states of hydrogen ~ruxide cooled in a supawmic expansion. J. Chem Phys. 85:2331-2, 1986. 0152439202685 Caatfeman A W & Keesee R G. Ionic clusters. Char. Rev 86589-618, 1986. 88-3391 0 26 36 S2 36 49 137 Closa GL, Cat@erraLT, GreemNJ, Psnflr4dKW&Mf UerJR Distance, atezedectronic effects, and the Mrmua invertcrfregion in intmmolrctdar demon transferin organic rdical aniona. J, Phys. Chem. W:3673-83, 1986.88-0270 11724422414WJ Cotfmsn J P, Kodndek T & Brmmmn J L Oxygenation of styreor by C~Cd22U~ P450 mcdd SySk12kXa mdMtdStiC study. J. ,4rna Chern .%, 108:2588-94, 1986. O 16 27 43 16 11 70 Colqubmrn H M, Stoddart J F & Wtiama D J.