Bibliometric Analysis on Smart Self-Healing Nanocoating for 316L Stainless Steel Biomedical Implants

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on smart self-healing nanocoatings for 316L stainless steel biomedical implants between 2015 and 2025. The aim is to explore publication trends, identify leading contributors, and uncover gaps in knowledge within this emerging field. A total of 237 documents were collected from the Scopus database using a well-defined search strategy. Performance analysis and science mapping techniques were applied using VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and supporting tools. The results show a consistent increase in publication volume, with a notable rise after 2020, suggesting growing interest in self-healing materials for biomedical applications. The most common document types are research articles (44.3%) and reviews (38%), with most publications falling under materials science, engineering, and chemistry. India and China lead in publication count, while countries like Canada and Australia demonstrate high average citation impact. Keywords like “corrosion,” “biocompatibility,” and “hydroxyapatite” dominate the field, while “self-healing” appears infrequently, indicating an underexplored area. Experimental focus remains largely on in vitro studies, with limited in vivo or simulation-based research. Most coatings are tested in lab settings, and only a few studies move toward biological or computational validations. This paper highlights the need for broader interdisciplinary efforts and deeper translation of lab findings into real biomedical applications.