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Richard E. Smalley

Richard E. Smalley

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Best Scientists
2025
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Materials Science
USA
2022

D-Index & Metrics

Discipline name D-Index World Ranking National Ranking Publications Citations
Best Scientists 178 638 398 533 168950
Materials Science 174 70 31 483 169201
Chemistry 174 51 28 505 166167

Richard E. Smalley publications per year

The chart shows the history of publications by Richard E. Smalley between 1973 and 2023, highlighting the no. of papers published in each year and offering an overview of the publication velocity of this scholar. Richard E. Smalley published across 51 years, from 1973 to 2023, averaging 10.5 papers a year. Output peaked at 40 publications in 2003. 1 of the 534 publications appeared in the last two years.

No. of publications
10 20 30 40
Bar chart. Horizontal axis: year, 1973 to 2023. Vertical axis: number of publications, 0 to 40. Peak 40 publications in 2003. 1973: 2 publications 1974: 1 publication 1975: 2 publications 1976: 3 publications 1977: 6 publications 1978: 10 publications 1979: 11 publications 1980: 11 publications 1981: 10 publications 1982: 8 publications 1983: 8 publications 1984: 4 publications 1985: 11 publications 1986: 15 publications 1987: 9 publications 1988: 10 publications 1989: 2 publications 1990: 11 publications 1991: 30 publications 1992: 16 publications 1993: 15 publications 1994: 10 publications 1995: 8 publications 1996: 13 publications 1997: 25 publications 1998: 33 publications 1999: 17 publications 2000: 16 publications 2001: 29 publications 2002: 28 publications 2003: 40 publications 2004: 27 publications 2005: 31 publications 2006: 27 publications 2007: 13 publications 2008: 9 publications 2009: 5 publications 2010: 1 publication 2011: 0 publications 2012: 3 publications 2013: 3 publications 2014: 0 publications 2015: 0 publications 2016: 0 publications 2017: 0 publications 2018: 0 publications 2019: 0 publications 2020: 0 publications 2021: 0 publications 2022: 0 publications 2023: 1 publication
1973 2023

534 publications in total across all disciplines

View publications per year as a table
Richard E. Smalley: publications per year, 1973 to 2023
Year Publications
1973 2
1974 1
1975 2
1976 3
1977 6
1978 10
1979 11
1980 11
1981 10
1982 8
1983 8
1984 4
1985 11
1986 15
1987 9
1988 10
1989 2
1990 11
1991 30
1992 16
1993 15
1994 10
1995 8
1996 13
1997 25
1998 33
1999 17
2000 16
2001 29
2002 28
2003 40
2004 27
2005 31
2006 27
2007 13
2008 9
2009 5
2010 1
2011 0
2012 3
2013 3
2014 0
2015 0
2016 0
2017 0
2018 0
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 1
Total 534
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Richard E. Smalley publications per year - data summary

  • Richard E. Smalley, a Chemistry scholar from Rice University, has 534 publications recorded across 51 years, from 1973 to 2023.
  • The oldest publication on record dates to 1973 and the most recent to 2023.
  • The most productive year is 2003, with 40 publications.
  • The least productive years with any output are 1974, 2010 and 2023, with 1 publication each.
  • 10 of the 51 years in the span carry no publications at all (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 and others).
  • The rate of publication averages 10.5 papers per year over the whole span, or 13.0 per year counting only the 41 years with at least one publication.
  • The last 5 years on the chart (2019-2023) hold 1 publication, <1% of the career total.
  • Split into equal eras - 1973-1989: 123 publications (7.2 per year); 1990-2006: 376 publications (22.1 per year); 2007-2023: 35 publications (2.1 per year).
  • Comparing the opening and closing eras, the overall trend of publication is declining.

Richard E. Smalley publication distribution in Chemistry in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Chemistry in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard E. Smalley sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
250 500 750 1,000 1,250
Bar chart with 63 bars. Horizontal axis: publications, 61–80 to 1,295+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 1,350. Most scientists, 1,350, have 161–180 publications. The last bar groups every scientist with 1,295 publications or more. The highlighted bar, 501–520 publications, is where this scientist sits. 61–80 publications: 66 scientists 81–100 publications: 302 scientists 101–120 publications: 623 scientists 121–140 publications: 918 scientists 141–160 publications: 1,218 scientists 161–180 publications: 1,350 scientists 181–200 publications: 1,344 scientists 201–220 publications: 1,281 scientists 221–240 publications: 1,216 scientists 241–260 publications: 1,100 scientists 261–280 publications: 979 scientists 281–300 publications: 939 scientists 301–320 publications: 764 scientists 321–340 publications: 643 scientists 341–360 publications: 628 scientists 361–380 publications: 522 scientists 381–400 publications: 459 scientists 401–420 publications: 397 scientists 421–440 publications: 327 scientists 441–460 publications: 270 scientists 461–480 publications: 265 scientists 481–500 publications: 252 scientists 501–520 publications: 201 scientists 521–540 publications: 185 scientists 541–560 publications: 148 scientists 561–580 publications: 148 scientists 581–600 publications: 132 scientists 601–620 publications: 114 scientists 621–640 publications: 104 scientists 641–660 publications: 91 scientists 661–680 publications: 92 scientists 681–700 publications: 73 scientists 701–720 publications: 57 scientists 721–740 publications: 54 scientists 741–760 publications: 67 scientists 761–780 publications: 45 scientists 781–800 publications: 46 scientists 801–820 publications: 39 scientists 821–840 publications: 32 scientists 841–860 publications: 36 scientists 861–880 publications: 29 scientists 881–900 publications: 26 scientists 901–920 publications: 24 scientists 921–940 publications: 14 scientists 941–960 publications: 23 scientists 961–980 publications: 28 scientists 981–1,000 publications: 15 scientists 1,001–1,020 publications: 29 scientists 1,021–1,040 publications: 12 scientists 1,041–1,060 publications: 19 scientists 1,061–1,080 publications: 12 scientists 1,081–1,100 publications: 6 scientists 1,101–1,120 publications: 8 scientists 1,121–1,140 publications: 12 scientists 1,141–1,160 publications: 5 scientists 1,161–1,180 publications: 6 scientists 1,181–1,200 publications: 14 scientists 1,201–1,220 publications: 7 scientists 1,221–1,240 publications: 2 scientists 1,241–1,260 publications: 6 scientists 1,261–1,280 publications: 4 scientists 1,281–1,294 publications: 6 scientists 1,295+ publications: 100 scientists
61–80 publications 1,295+

This scientist: 505 publications — 89th percentile

89% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 1,295 publications or more.

View publications distribution as a table
Number of Chemistry scientists by publication count, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 17,934 ranked scientists.
Publications Scientists This scientist
61–80 66
81–100 302
101–120 623
121–140 918
141–160 1,218
161–180 1,350
181–200 1,344
201–220 1,281
221–240 1,216
241–260 1,100
261–280 979
281–300 939
301–320 764
321–340 643
341–360 628
361–380 522
381–400 459
401–420 397
421–440 327
441–460 270
461–480 265
481–500 252
501–520 201 505
521–540 185
541–560 148
561–580 148
581–600 132
601–620 114
621–640 104
641–660 91
661–680 92
681–700 73
701–720 57
721–740 54
741–760 67
761–780 45
781–800 46
801–820 39
821–840 32
841–860 36
861–880 29
881–900 26
901–920 24
921–940 14
941–960 23
961–980 28
981–1,000 15
1,001–1,020 29
1,021–1,040 12
1,041–1,060 19
1,061–1,080 12
1,081–1,100 6
1,101–1,120 8
1,121–1,140 12
1,141–1,160 5
1,161–1,180 6
1,181–1,200 14
1,201–1,220 7
1,221–1,240 2
1,241–1,260 6
1,261–1,280 4
1,281–1,294 6
1,295+ 100
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Richard E. Smalley publication distribution in Chemistry in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the publication count of all 17,934 Chemistry scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 63 ranges running from 61–80 to 1,295+ publications.
  • Richard E. Smalley, a Chemistry scholar from Rice University, records 505 publications - the 89th percentile of the discipline.
  • 89% of ranked Chemistry scientists score the same or lower than Richard E. Smalley, and about 11% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 241–260 publications range, and Richard E. Smalley ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 161–180 publications, holding 1,350 scientists (8% of the field).
  • 77% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 361–380 publications), so the distribution is heavily right-skewed and high scores are rare.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 1,295 publications or more, 100 scientists in all (<1% of the field).

Richard E. Smalley D-index placement in Chemistry in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Chemistry scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Richard E. Smalley sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
250 500 750 1,000
Bar chart with 61 bars. Horizontal axis: D-Index, 40–41 to 159+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 1,051. Most scientists, 1,051, have 56–57 D-Index. The last bar groups every scientist with 159 D-Index or more. The highlighted bar, 159+ D-Index, is where this scientist sits. 40–41 D-Index: 289 scientists 42–43 D-Index: 612 scientists 44–45 D-Index: 808 scientists 46–47 D-Index: 776 scientists 48–49 D-Index: 835 scientists 50–51 D-Index: 861 scientists 52–53 D-Index: 872 scientists 54–55 D-Index: 933 scientists 56–57 D-Index: 1,051 scientists 58–59 D-Index: 930 scientists 60–61 D-Index: 882 scientists 62–63 D-Index: 834 scientists 64–65 D-Index: 731 scientists 66–67 D-Index: 775 scientists 68–69 D-Index: 683 scientists 70–71 D-Index: 646 scientists 72–73 D-Index: 561 scientists 74–75 D-Index: 501 scientists 76–77 D-Index: 437 scientists 78–79 D-Index: 388 scientists 80–81 D-Index: 354 scientists 82–83 D-Index: 292 scientists 84–85 D-Index: 275 scientists 86–87 D-Index: 254 scientists 88–89 D-Index: 235 scientists 90–91 D-Index: 185 scientists 92–93 D-Index: 192 scientists 94–95 D-Index: 155 scientists 96–97 D-Index: 163 scientists 98–99 D-Index: 125 scientists 100–101 D-Index: 105 scientists 102–103 D-Index: 105 scientists 104–105 D-Index: 112 scientists 106–107 D-Index: 88 scientists 108–109 D-Index: 68 scientists 110–111 D-Index: 69 scientists 112–113 D-Index: 65 scientists 114–115 D-Index: 79 scientists 116–117 D-Index: 61 scientists 118–119 D-Index: 44 scientists 120–121 D-Index: 37 scientists 122–123 D-Index: 40 scientists 124–125 D-Index: 33 scientists 126–127 D-Index: 26 scientists 128–129 D-Index: 34 scientists 130–131 D-Index: 35 scientists 132–133 D-Index: 25 scientists 134–135 D-Index: 27 scientists 136–137 D-Index: 17 scientists 138–139 D-Index: 16 scientists 140–141 D-Index: 20 scientists 142–143 D-Index: 20 scientists 144–145 D-Index: 15 scientists 146–147 D-Index: 9 scientists 148–149 D-Index: 9 scientists 150–151 D-Index: 16 scientists 152–153 D-Index: 11 scientists 154–155 D-Index: 9 scientists 156–157 D-Index: 3 scientists 158 D-Index: 3 scientists 159+ D-Index: 98 scientists
40–41 D-Index 159+

This scientist: 174 D-Index — 100th percentile

100% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 159 D-Index or more.

View D-Index distribution as a table
Number of Chemistry scientists by D-index, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 17,934 ranked scientists.
D-Index Scientists This scientist
40–41 289
42–43 612
44–45 808
46–47 776
48–49 835
50–51 861
52–53 872
54–55 933
56–57 1,051
58–59 930
60–61 882
62–63 834
64–65 731
66–67 775
68–69 683
70–71 646
72–73 561
74–75 501
76–77 437
78–79 388
80–81 354
82–83 292
84–85 275
86–87 254
88–89 235
90–91 185
92–93 192
94–95 155
96–97 163
98–99 125
100–101 105
102–103 105
104–105 112
106–107 88
108–109 68
110–111 69
112–113 65
114–115 79
116–117 61
118–119 44
120–121 37
122–123 40
124–125 33
126–127 26
128–129 34
130–131 35
132–133 25
134–135 27
136–137 17
138–139 16
140–141 20
142–143 20
144–145 15
146–147 9
148–149 9
150–151 16
152–153 11
154–155 9
156–157 3
158 3
159+ 98 174
Download as CSV

Richard E. Smalley D-index placement in Chemistry in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the discipline H-index (D-index) of all 17,934 Chemistry scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 61 ranges running from 40–41 to 159+ D-Index.
  • Richard E. Smalley, a Chemistry scholar from Rice University, records 174 D-Index - the 100th percentile of the discipline.
  • 100% of ranked Chemistry scientists score the same or lower than Richard E. Smalley, and about 0% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 62–63 D-Index range, and Richard E. Smalley ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 56–57 D-Index, holding 1,051 scientists (6% of the field).
  • 70% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 70–71 D-Index), so the distribution is heavily right-skewed and high scores are rare.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 159 D-Index or more, 98 scientists in all (<1% of the field).

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Best Scientists Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Materials Science in United States Leader Award
  • 2003 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 1996 - Nobel Prize for their discovery of fullerenes
  • 1993 - William H. Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 1992 - Welch Award in Chemistry, Robert A. Welch Foundation
  • 1991 - Irving Langmuir Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 1990 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1986 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For pioneering contributions to knowledge of molecular structure and dynamics through the development and application of techniques of laser spectroscopy in supersonic molecular beams and jets
  • 1978 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

Richard E. Smalley was affiliated with Rice University in the United States. Their research contributions spanned multiple fields including Physics and Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Materials Science. Within these broader fields, their work extended into subfields such as Condensed Matter Physics, Geophysics, and Materials Chemistry.

The main topics covered in their research included Rare-earth and actinide compounds, High-pressure geophysics and materials, and Nuclear Materials and Properties. These areas reflect a focus on specialized materials science and physics disciplines relevant to high-pressure environments and nuclear applications.

Among their publications, one recent paper is noted: "Temperature measurements on shocked 2-phase Ce", published in 2023 in the AIP conference proceedings. This work was co-authored with B. J. Jensen, Thomas Hartsfield, F. J. Cherne, M. T. Beason, and Charles F. Shoemaker.

  • B. J. Jensen
  • Thomas Hartsfield
  • F. J. Cherne
  • M. T. Beason
  • Charles F. Shoemaker

The AIP conference proceedings also stand out as a frequent venue for their publications.

Throughout their career, Richard E. Smalley received several notable awards, including the 1996 Nobel Prize for the discovery of fullerenes. Other recognitions include:

  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2003
  • William H. Nichols Medal from the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 1993
  • Welch Award in Chemistry from the Robert A. Welch Foundation in 1992
  • Irving Langmuir Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 1991
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1990
  • Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 1986, recognized for pioneering contributions in molecular structure and dynamics via laser spectroscopy in supersonic molecular beams and jets
  • Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 1978

Richard E. Smalley's career was marked by interdisciplinary research intersecting materials chemistry, geophysics, and condensed matter physics. Their collaborations and publication venues indicate engagement within specialized scientific communities focused on physical and materials sciences.

Best Publications

  • C 60 : Buckminsterfullerene

    H. W. Kroto;H. W. Kroto;J. R. Heath;S. C. O’Brien;R. F. Curl

  • Crystalline Ropes of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes

    Andreas Thess;Roland Lee;Pavel Nikolaev;Hongjie Dai

  • Band gap fluorescence from individual single-walled carbon nanotubes.

    Michael J. O'Connell;Sergei M. Bachilo;Chad B. Huffman;Valerie C. Moore

  • Electronic structure of atomically resolved carbon nanotubes

    Jeroen W. G. Wilder;Liesbeth C. Venema;Andrew G. Rinzler;Richard E. Smalley

  • Individual single-wall carbon nanotubes as quantum wires

    Sander J. Tans;Michel H. Devoret;Hongjie Dai;Andreas Thess

  • Structure-Assigned Optical Spectra of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Sergei M. Bachilo;Michael S. Strano;Carter Kittrell;Robert H. Hauge

  • Nanotubes as nanoprobes in scanning probe microscopy

    Hongjie Dai;Jason H. Hafner;Andrew G. Rinzler;Daniel T. Colbert

  • Catalytic growth of single-walled manotubes by laser vaporization

    T. Guo;P. Nikolaev;A. Thess;D.T. Colbert

  • Diameter-Selective Raman Scattering from Vibrational Modes in Carbon Nanotubes

    Apparao M. Rao;E. Richter;Shunji Bandow;Bruce Chase

  • Gas-phase catalytic growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes from carbon monoxide

    Pavel Nikolaev;Michael J Bronikowski;R.Kelley Bradley;Frank Rohmund

  • Reversible water-solubilization of single-walled carbon nanotubes by polymer wrapping

    Michael J. O'Connell;Peter Boul;Lars M. Ericson;Chad Huffman

  • Unraveling Nanotubes: Field Emission from an Atomic Wire

    A. G. Rinzler;J. H. Hafner;P. Nikolaev;P. Nordlander

  • Method for producing self-assembled objects comprising fullerene nanotubes and compositions thereof

    Richard E. Smalley;Daniel T. Colbert;Hongjie Dai;Jie Liu

  • Individually suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes in various surfactants

    Valerie C. Moore;Michael S. Strano;Erik H. Haroz;Robert H. Hauge

  • Luttinger-liquid behaviour in carbon nanotubes

    Marc Bockrath;David H. Cobden;Jia Lu;Andrew G. Rinzler

  • Large-scale purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes: process, product, and characterization

    A.G. Rinzler;J. Liu;H. Dai;P. Nikolaev

  • Functionalization of carbon nanotubes by electrochemical reduction of aryl diazonium salts: a bucky paper electrode

    Jeffrey L. Bahr;Jiping Yang;Dmitry V. Kosynkin;Michael J. Bronikowski

  • Single-Electron Transport in Ropes of Carbon Nanotubes

    Marc Bockrath;David H. Cobden;Paul L. McEuen;Nasreen G. Chopra

  • SINGLE-WALL NANOTUBES PRODUCED BY METAL-CATALYZED DISPROPORTIONATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE

    Hongjie Dai;Andrew G. Rinzler;Pasha Nikolaev;Andreas Thess

  • Electronic structure control of single-walled carbon nanotube functionalization.

    Michael S. Strano;Christopher A. Dyke;Monica L. Usrey;Paul W. Barone

Frequent Co-Authors

Robert H. Hauge
Robert H. Hauge Rice University
Andrew G. Rinzler
Andrew G. Rinzler University of Florida
Jason H. Hafner
Jason H. Hafner Rice University
J. H. Weaver
J. H. Weaver University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jie Liu
Jie Liu Duke University
Hongjie Dai
Hongjie Dai University of Hong Kong
Robert F. Curl
Robert F. Curl Rice University
Carter Kittrell
Carter Kittrell Rice University
Matteo Pasquali
Matteo Pasquali Rice University

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