Molecules in Wikipedia: Analysis of Their Chemical Diversity, Functional Roles, and Popularity

Wikipedia is one of the most widely accessed sources of information worldwide, containing nearly 25,000 molecular entries spanning drugs, natural products, specialty chemicals, and other compounds. Despite its prominence, the chemical content of Wikipedia has not been systematically studied. In this work, we analyzed molecular entries and classified them into use categories, providing a first overview of their roles and applications. Structural diversity was examined using scaffold analysis and UMAP visualization, which revealed well-defined clusters corresponding to major chemical classes. In addition, Wikipedia pageview statistics were analyzed to explore the popularity of molecular entries. These data revealed a strong public focus on CNS-active drugs, recreational substances, and molecules with current medical or cultural relevance, while industrial and specialty chemicals attracted comparatively little attention. Overall, our findings show that Wikipedia offers both a chemically diverse and socially informative perspective on molecules, making it a unique resource at the intersection of chemistry, open data, and public knowledge.